An interim president for Sangamon State University was named by the Board of Regents Thursday and will assume his new position Sept. 13.

Franklin Matsler was selected Wednesday by the Regents as SSU president. However, his name was not immediately released because contract terms needed to be made and Matsler had to be notified first, Regent Brewster Parker said.

Regent Roderick Groves said Matsler was executive director for the Regents from 1968 to 1984.

He since has been a Regency faculty member at Illinois State University and had retired this year, Groves said.

SSU President Durward Long requested a 60-day leave of absence, effective Sept. 5.

Groves neither confirmed nor denied Long’s leave was prompted by allegations that he fondled a student.

In Wednesday’s Springfield State Journal Register, SSU Student Regent Brian Hopkins said he had received complaints from a student about Long.

The student’s name, however, was not released and no complaints have been filed against Long.

Groves said he did not think the request for the leave was based on “any specific incident.”

He said the reason was “extreme exhaustion.” Long will be evaluated to determine whether he is an alcoholic.

Groves said the Regents did not select someone for the president’s position from SSU because that would create another void in a staff position.

He said it was better to find a candidate who was not already in an administrative position.