{"id":768,"date":"2022-12-07T11:54:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-07T11:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/?page_id=768"},"modified":"2024-10-31T13:48:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T20:48:52","slug":"our-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Our History"},"content":{"rendered":" \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n \n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n \n
\n\n \n

When USC first opened its doors to 53 students and 10 teachers in 1880, the city still lacked paved streets, electric lights, telephones and a reliable fire alarm system. Today, USC is home to more than 48,000 students and over 4,400 full-time faculty, and is located in the heart of one of the biggest metropolises in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\n\n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

Honoring the Past<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n \n\n
\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n\n \n \n \n \n <\/svg>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n \n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

The Era of the Founders<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

Los Angeles was a rough-and-tumble frontier town in the early 1870s, when a group of public-spirited citizens led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney first dreamed of establishing a university in the region. It took nearly a decade for this vision to become a reality, but in 1879 Widney formed a board of trustees and secured a donation of 308 lots of land from three prominent members of the community \u2014 Ozro W. Childs, a Protestant horticulturist; former California Governor John G. Downey, an Irish-Catholic pharmacist and businessman; and Isaias W. Hellman, a German-Jewish banker and philanthropist. The gift provided land for a campus as well as a source of endowment, the seeds of financial support for the nascent institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n\n \n \n \nThe Era of the Founders<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

USC’s Historical Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n

Journey through time with USC and discover the university’s transformation from a small college in 1880 to one of world’s leading educational institutions today. Trace its rich history, steeped in tradition and progress, for an inside look at its remarkable growth over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n
\n\n \n \n \nUSC’s Historical Timeline<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

Gallery of USC Presidents<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

The University of Southern California has had 12 university presidents since its founding. From its humble beginnings in 1880 to now educating thousands each year, the university has grown and established itself as a leader of higher education that continues to draw students from around the world today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n\n \n \n \nGallery of USC Presidents<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

The Trojan Olympic Heritage<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n
\n \n
\n\n \n

USC\u2019s involvement in the Olympics dates back to 1904 when Emil Breitkreutz became the first USC student to compete in the Olympic Games. Since then, USC has had a remarkable history of producing more Olympians, overall medalists and gold medalists than any other university in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n
\n\n \n \n \nUSC’s Olympic Heritage<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

History of the USC campus<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n

From walking over the site of USC\u2019s first football field to imagining the region\u2019s first university as a single building, you can learn about USC’s history just walking the University Park Campus. Follow along with USC archaeologist Ken Seligson and USC News and as they step into the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n\n \n \n \nA Walk Into History<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n\n \n
\n
\n\n \n
\n\n \n

World War II Shaped USC History \u2014 and the Face of the University<\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
\n\n \n
\n

Nearly every corner of campus life transformed as students joined the war effort at home and abroad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n\n \n \n \nA Call to Duty<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
\n \n
\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":756,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-768","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur History - USC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our History\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-31T20:48:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/our-history\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/our-history\\\/\",\"name\":\"Our History - USC\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-12-07T11:54:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-31T20:48:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/our-history\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/our-history\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/our-history\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.usc.edu\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"We Are USC\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.usc.edu\\\/?page_id=1374\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The University\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.usc.edu\\\/we-are-usc\\\/the-university\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Our History\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/\",\"name\":\"USC\",\"description\":\"University of Southern California\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/usc.edu\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Our History - USC","description":"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Our History","og_description":"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.","og_url":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/","og_site_name":"USC","article_modified_time":"2024-10-31T20:48:52+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/","url":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/","name":"Our History - USC","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-12-07T11:54:38+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-31T20:48:52+00:00","description":"Information about the history of USC in Los Angeles since it was founded in 1880. Includes information about the USC's founders, Olympic heritage and historical information.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/our-history\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"We Are USC","item":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/?page_id=1374"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The University","item":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/we-are-usc\/the-university\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Our History"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/#website","url":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/","name":"USC","description":"University of Southern California","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/usc.edu\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=768"}],"version-history":[{"count":110,"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27752,"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/768\/revisions\/27752"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usc.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}