COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - Gov. Jay Nixon has appointed former political rival David Steelman to the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri.
Steelman's appointment Friday fills the lone vacancy on the nine-member board that oversees the university's campuses in Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla and St. Louis.
Steelman is a Republican attorney from Rolla who served for six years in the Missouri House starting in 1979, including as the minority party leader. He ran unsuccessfully for attorney general against Nixon in 1992.
David Steelman is the husband of Sarah Steelman, a former state treasurer and senator who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2008.
Steelman's appointment to the Board of Curators would run until January 2019, if he is confirmed by the Senate. He will represent the 8th Congressional District on the university board.