In 1994, Kenny Guinn, a Las Vegas businessman and civic leader, was appointed interim president of the university. He held the position for one year, at a salary of just $1, as the university searched for its permanent president. Guinn had previously served as superintendent of the Clark County School District.

Guinn's work at the university was symptomatic of his experience as a prominent businessman and leader in education; he dedicated much of his time to expanding and solidifying university financial matters. Despite his relatively short term as the university searched for its permanent president, Guinn orchestrated self-sustaining programs in the performing arts, invigorated athletic leadership, and readied the institution for its incoming president.

In 1998, three years after his service to UNLV, Guinn was elected governor of Nevada.

Sources

• Hulse, James W.; Goodall, Leonard; and Allen, Jackie. Reinventing the System: Higher Education in Nevada. University of Nevada Press, 2002.
• Moehring, Eugene P. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas: A History. University of Nevada Press, 2007.