Named Awards

Dr. Doug Elliott
Thomas J. Peterson
Amy Ross
Don Thompson
Russell Gamble

Dr. Doug Elliott

Doug Elliott, a dedicated supporter and longtime member of USC Lambda Alumni, passed in February 2008. Below is an excerpt from a profile USC Planned Giving had written about him. USC Lambda is saddened by the passing of one of our most ardent supporters.

Some of the most tantalizing bits of USC trivia come from those long-ago days immediately following the university’s founding, when Los Angeles—a tough frontier town lacking telephones, paved streets and electric lights—seemed an unlikely setting for the pursuit of higher education. Modern Trojans probably have a hard time imagining what life was really like for the intrepid students who composed USC’s first graduating classes. But that’s certainly not the case for J. Douglas Elliott (B.A. ’52, Ph.D. ’57).

As a third-generation Trojan, Dr. Elliott was raised on stories about the USC experience that predated Tommy Trojan and the Pasadena Freeway. The Elliott family’s deep-rooted connection to USC originated with Dr. Elliott’s paternal grandparents, who were seminary students at the McClay School of Theology when that institution became the University of Southern California in 1880.

Dr. Elliott’s father, J. Paul Elliott (B.A. ’18, L.L.B. ’23), followed in his parents’ footsteps, enrolling at USC after graduating from Manual Arts High School. He and his high school sweetheart, Florence (B.A. ’18), married the day of their high school graduation and were among the very first newlyweds to attend classes at USC. An accomplished trumpet player, J. Paul Elliott supported himself and his new wife by teaching music and orchestra at Hollywood High School and by performing at restaurants and during reel changes at a local silent movie theater. “He would study in the orchestra pit, his law books propped up on a music stand beneath a single lightbulb,” marvels his son.

After graduating from USC, J. Paul Elliott established a successful law practice and worked tirelessly alongside Florence, a teacher, on behalf of education and youth causes. But one of the achievements of which his father was always proudest, relates Dr. Elliott, was the key role he played in organizing USC’s first marching band and in developing and popularizing the half-time band formations. Years later, Dr. Elliott would continue this legacy by playing cymbals in the world famous USC marching band during the Rose Bowl.

Having inherited his family’s passion for USC, as well as their belief in the importance of faith, education and community service, Dr. Elliott studied political science and education at USC, and completed two years at the San Francisco Theological Seminary. He went on to become a highly respected elementary school educator and administrator.

After his retirement in 1985, Dr. Elliott was ordained an Elder at West Hollywood Presbyterian Church and assigned to counsel gay inmates at the Los Angeles County Men’s Jail “soft unit” where he served as a chaplain for more than a decade. In recent years, he worked with a wide range of community organizations. His positive experiences with the USC-affiliated Barlow Respiratory Hospital and the USC Lambda Alumni Association led Dr. Elliott to include them in his estate plans as dual beneficiaries of a generous gift of property.

“Those of us who have enjoyed success in our lives have a duty to help our young people who are the community leaders of tomorrow,” he says about his decision to provide scholarship support for education students at USC.

“Doug Elliott has converted ordinary real estate into a future for USC students that is rich with potential and promise,” says Tom Peterson, co-president of the USC Lambda Alumni Association. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

Los Angeles is no longer the dusty outpost of yesteryear, but among the wonderful things about the city and its population that have remained constant over time is the Elliott family’s confidence in the power of education and philanthropy to heal, enlighten and uplift. “It does us no good to substitute panic and hatred for empathy and altruism,” Dr. Elliott explains. “Instead, we need to help people learn to understand and appreciate one another’s differences.”

Copyright © University of Southern California, All rights reserved.

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Thomas J. Peterson

After graduating from USC's MBA program in 1980, Tom Peterson soon discovered that the business community was hostile, at worst, and indifferent, at best, to young gay and lesbian MBAs who were seeking to make their marks on the business world. These were the days when the business community embraced a new wave of cultural and political conservatism, and climbing the corporate ladder, as a gay person, was synonymous with living a life of denial and concealment. Regardless of talent and hard work, success in business usually meant being one of the guys. And being gay was not being one of the guys.

Tom realized that a terrible waste of talent was taking place. Exceptionally bright and capable people were settling for mediocrity in their careers as a compromise to being openly gay. In order to promote greater visibility and to support gay and lesbian MBA students, Tom established this scholarship to recognize individuals who had made a difference in the corporate workplace for lesbian and gay people.

Tom currently serves at the Director of Public Policy at AIDS Services Foundation in Orange County and lives in Newport Beach with his partner, Jim Albright.

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Amy Ross

While the combined generosity of many different USC Lambda alums and friends ensure that both our LGBT scholarship support and our endowment continue to grow, one of our alums in particular has made exceptional contributions during this past year. As a founding member of USC Lambda back in 1993, Amy Ross has been a key player throughout our history, and endows her own Lesbian Health Studies scholarship annually. When her good friend Don Thompson from the School of Cinematic Arts passed away last summer, Amy rallied a group of friends to honor Don's work and leadership as an openly gay staff member and mentor with a memorial scholarship. Thanks to Amy's efforts, USC Lambda acquired two named scholarships to offer USC students annually!

In addition to her leadership within USC Lambda, Amy is also a member of the USCAA Board of Governors and is on the organization committee for USC's Women's Leadership Conference. This is the kind of inspiring leadership and support that benefits all USC Lambda alums and ensures a strong, healthy and vibrant future for our association. Thank you, Amy!

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Don Thompson

The late Don Thompson (1939-2006) began his employment with USC as the Head of Reference Services at the Library for the School of Cinema/Television in 1978. During that tenure, which lasted until 1997, Don also served as the Acting Head of the Architecture Library, the Preservation Librarian, and acting Chair of the Arts Center. From 1997 until his passing, Don was the Photo Archivist at the Cinema/Television Library. As a strong presence in the GLBT community, Don's passion for the cinematic arts found its home at his beloved USC.

The Don Thompson Scholarship was established in his memory through the generous efforts of Amy Ross and the LA Frontrunners. USC Lambda and LA Frontrunners team up each spring for a campus fun run and in the fall for a movie night to celebrate his passions and raise money for his scholarship.

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Russell Gamble

A native Californian, Russ grew up in the Los Angeles suburbs, attending Warren High School in Downey. After graduating from USC with a Bachelor of Architecture (’69), his career in real estate and construction management took him around the world (Vietnam, Rhode Island, Georgia, Texas, Saudi Arabia, Georgia again, Florida and Washington, DC), earning a Masters of Business Administration with a major in Real Estate and Urban Affairs at Georgia State University (’76), before retiring to Palm Springs at the end of 2001 with his partner Phil Dick (deceased 2008).

The view of the U.S. Capitol’s dome from their front window was nice but just a little too close after the events of 9/11. Currently Russ divides his time between his home in Palm Springs and summers at his condo in Vancouver, BC.

By establishing the scholarship, he hopes to put a few more cracks in the glass ceiling often found in the profession of architecture and construction management.

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