About Us
The USC Alumni Association
The USC Alumni Association has a full-time staff headed by the association's CEO and is advised by the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. With more than 300,000 members worldwide, the USC Alumni Association’s mission is to support the overall advancement of the University of Southern California. In support of this mission, the USC Alumni Association strives to engage all alumni for life, build a culture of philanthropy among the Trojan Family, and be a representative voice for all USC alumni. With more than 100 affiliated alumni clubs, alumnae support groups and multicultural alumni organizations, the USC Alumni Association distributes more than one million dollars each year in scholarships for USC students, annually hosts more than 250 events and programs around the world, and provides benefits and services to all USC alumni.
The first University of Southern California alumni association was established in 1885 by George F. Bovard, Class of 1894, who later became USC's fourth president.
Today's alumni association was founded as the General Alumni Association in 1923 under Edward L. Doheny, Jr., its first president. The first Homecoming took place in 1924.
Throughout the 1920s and ‘30s, the GAA was the university's primary fundraiser. In 1927, it created the Bureau of Employment, a job placement office in the Student Union Building for students and alumni. Also in the late 1920s, the GAA embarked on a fundraising campaign to build a new library and physical education building, but the Great Depression cut short these efforts.
Nevertheless, in 1930, the GAA raised the funds to donate the Trojan Shrine (Tommy Trojan) to USC. Also in the '30s, the GAA donated the land around the new Doheny Library (today's Alumni Park) and, in 1932, established the Asa V. Call Achievement Award, precursor to the USC Alumni Awards.
In the late 1990s, the GAA changed its name to the USC Alumni Association. The association has been housed in the Widney Alumni House since 1976. The House, built in 1880, was USC's first building and has been relocated on the campus three times. It was declared a state historic monument in 1955.
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