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Dr. Gordon H. Lamb, a veteran educator and former college president, has been appointed interim president of the University of Missouri. Lamb officially began his new duties April 9.
The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted unanimously during executive session April 4 to hire Lamb, who served from February 1999 to March 2000 as interim chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Since 2000, Lamb has served as senior vice president of EFL and Associates, an educational consulting firm. He resides in Columbia, Mo.
“We considered various candidates for the interim presidency, and it was unanimously decided that Dr. Gordon Lamb would be the best person to serve the University of Missouri System during this time of change,” said Board Chair Don Walsworth. “Gordon has a tremendous academic and administrative background. He knows Missouri and he knows the University of Missouri, as he was once part of our UM family. I’m pleased to welcome him back to the family to develop our blueprint for transition to the next president.”
“I appreciate the confidence of the Board of Curators and the opportunity to serve the University of Missouri System during a transition period,” Lamb said. “I’m looking forward to working with the chancellors and the staff of the University of Missouri System during the coming months.”
Lamb previously served as a vice president and professor at the University of Texas System, as president of Northeastern Illinois University, and as an interim chancellor and a professor at the University of Wisconsin System. He also taught in Iowa public schools.
Lamb received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Simpson College in 1956, a master’s degree in music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1962, and a doctoral degree in philosophy from the University of Iowa in 1973.
Lamb will be paid $382,000 annually, approximately the same salary paid to departing UM President Elson S. Floyd. Lamb is not a candidate for the permanent presidency. The board continues to work with executive search firm Baker and Associates to identify candidates for the permanent presidency.
The board held a series of presidential search forums in Portageville, Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Louis and Springfield throughout March to seek public input regarding the search for the next UM president.
Floyd, who was appointed UM president in 2002, is departing to assume the presidency of Washington State University. Floyd will serve as a consultant for the University of Missouri through April 30.