The process of searching for someone to replace Walter Hendl as director of the Eastman School of Music was unusual in that a faculty search committee had been in place for two months prior to Hendl's resignation. Although the committee was initially charged by Chancellor Wallis to seek someone to accept the newly proposed position of dean of faculty, it was understood from the beginning of their deliberations that they were seeking someone qualified to ultimately become director of the school. The members of the search committee were Samuel Adler (composition), Edward G. Evans, Jr. (musicology), Robert Gauldin (theory), Eugene List (piano), Verne Reynolds (French horn), and Zvi Zeitlin (violin).

The committee worked carefully to develop an initial listing of fourteen candidates for the position of dean of faculty. On May 15 they communicated to Chancellor Wallis that their listing had grown to sixty-five names, a number that they then reduced to twelve. Of these, eight were deemed to be of the highest interest, and these had been thoroughly reviewed. Their comprehensive report to Wallis identified the top four prospects. The first of these was Grant Beglarian, dean of the School of Performing Arts at the University of Southern California, and the second was Leonard Meyer, professor at the University of Chicago. However, in a separate communication on the same day, the committee indicated that it was difficult to choose between Beglarian and Meyer, commenting that they ”… were impressed with Leonard Meyer's brilliant mind, scholarship and intellectual prowess.” There was much to admire about the man. Born in 1918, he had studied at Columbia University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and a master of arts degree in music. This was followed by studies at the University of Chicago, leading to a PhD in history of culture. But Meyer was also a composer and had studied with Stefan Wolpe (1902–72), Otto Luening 1900–96), and Aaron Copland (1900–90). In 1946 he became a member of the music department at the University of Chicago and was appointed professor there in 1961. The committee's only concern was Meyer's lack of experience in a conservatory environment.