December 13, 2006 — Elson Floyd makes surprise announcement that he has accepted an offer to become president of Washington State University.
January — The Board of Curators selects Atlanta-based executive search firm Baker-Parker to help find Floyd’s successor. The consultant in charge of the search tells UM curators he will begin meeting with candidates before spring.
January 12 — Floyd offers to remain until the start of his new position on June 1.
March — The Board of Curators conduct six public state-wide forums for comment on the next president.
March — A 19-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee, charged with making recommendations to the Board of Curators, is announced by board president Don Walsworth.
April — System curators announce that Gordon H. Lamb, former interim chancellor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been chosen as interim system president.
April 20 — The Board of Curators meet with search consultant Jerry Baker and then admit they violated the Sunshine Law by not notifying the public in advance that they were meeting.
May — Though curators refuse to publicly discuss the search process or the list of finalists, speculation increases that Rep. Kenny Hulshof is a candidate to become the next UM System president.
May 23 — Hulshof confirms in a written statement that he is one of three finalists for the position. The university publicly confirmed the number of finalists.
May — Members of the advisory committee interview the three finalists and discuss their recommendations with the Board of Curators.
June — The Board of Curators’ first choice for the position, New Jersey business executive Terry Sutter, declines the position to take the job of vice president and chief operating officer of Gerdau Ameristeel.
August 9 — The Board of Curators meet in St. Louis to interview three to five candidates in a closed session.
October 6 — Curators end their regularly scheduled meeting with no report on the search.
November 9 — Curators meet in closed session to hold interviews with potential candidates.
November 19 — The Presidential Search Advisory Committee meets to interview a potential candidate.
November — Speculation mounts that former Sprint Nextel Corp. CEO Gary Forsee is a candidate. Some faculty members express concern about Forsee’s lack of experience in academia.
November 21 — Gov. Blunt meets with Forsee about his potential selection as the next UM president.
Thursday — Gary Forsee is named president.