Dr. Traywick is Replaced - Dr. Kirk Naylor Named University President
Dr. Kirk Naylor replaced Leland Traywick as the University's president in 1967. The Regents, for non-publicized reasons, rejected President Traywick's letter of resignation and dismissed him. Traywick filed suit to receive the earnings due him under the unexpired portion of his employment contract. The University's financial situation continued to worsen and threatened the institutions's financial stability. The solution, according to Naylor, who had been named acting President by the Regents, lay in joining the Municipal University of Omaha with the University of Nebraska.
Officials from both universities, along with leaders of the state's Unicameral, agreed that a merger between the two universities was the most practicable means of preserving and enhancing the survival of the Municipal University. Dr. Naylor's leadership did much to stabilize learning and working conditions within the University while also working to gain merger support from students, faculty, politicians and the general public. During the period needed to gain the necessary backing for a public election to approve the merger, Naylor made the continuation of normal university operations a high priority. Of special interest to the College of Business Administration was the need to sustain the new masters degree program.
A report from Dean Lucas to President Naylor noted that the existence of the graduate program in business placed increased pressure on the College to intensify its efforts to provide students with better qualified faculty. Non-terminal degree faculty in the college needed to intensify their work toward completing their advanced degrees as well as becoming more active in research and publication.