We are thankful for those who have made an estate gift to the University of Southern California. Here are their stories.
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Honoring a Mother’s Love and Legacy
For gay men of a certain generation, coming out to family and friends posed serious risks. Oral histories and interviews tell heartbreaking stories of estrangement, abandonment, professional ruin and worse.
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A Trojan Family Tradition of Giving Back
Every family has traditions passed down through generations. For the late Amy Dundon-Berchtold ’72 and her husband Jim, one of those traditions was giving back to USC—a practice that began with Amy’s mother, Joyce King Stoops, and her stepfather, Emery Stoops.
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Words to Thrive By
When his youngest granddaughter, Aly, enrolled at USC, Won Ng MS ’60, PhD ’70 offered her this piece of advice: “Whatever you do, do your best.” That simple motto has brought Ng great success over the course of a life that took him from rural China to Southern California.
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A Life Goal Achieved
“USC laid a foundation for my life that has led me to more riches—and I’m not talking financially—than I ever could have imagined,” Nancy Lueck ’74 explains. “It gives me joy to think that when I’m gone, I will have helped someone, specifically in the athletic program, to hopefully find their way in life and be as lucky as I have been.”
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Building a Legacy Through Philanthropy
Growing up near LAX in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, Charles Isham '65, MBA '72 always wanted to graduate from a top-tier university so that his degree would be recognized and respected.
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The Secret of His Success
Over the course of his long career, James R. Parks '72, MBT '75 has achieved great success as an accountant, tax consultant, financial analyst and real estate investor. While many of his contemporaries have retired to practice their golf swings, the double USC alumnus shows no sign of slowing down.
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A Trojan Spin on Serendipity
When double USC Viterbi School of Engineering alum John L. West '70, MS '72 reflects on his life and career, one word comes up repeatedly: serendipity. He believes that because of USC, everything has come together for him.
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A Debt Repaid
Ever since sixth grade, Larry Kaplan MA '78 had wanted to be a journalist—specifically a newscaster. Growing up on Long Island, he had worked on his school paper and yearbook.
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A USC Faculty Member Creates a Legacy
Raquel Arias MD '82 isn't a typical USC faculty member—as the associate dean of admissions at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, she reviews 9,000 or so applications a year and helps determine which 186 future doctors are accepted to the school.
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In Memoriam: Dr. June Pollak
In life, June Pollak B.A. ’49, M.A. ’51, Ph.D. ’61 had a generous spirit and was inspired to help others achieve their goals. With her passing, she leaves a wonderful legacy at USC that honors her empathetic nature and love of learning.
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A Generous Gift from a Great Generation
When Bert McCormack '60 came back from a year in Korea with the U.S. Marines, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary, and enrolled at USC’s business school on the G.I. bill. The young couple had $500 in the bank.
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Volunteers Leave a Lasting Legacy
Sue and Steve Wilder's decision to volunteer at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital was an easy one; figuring out exactly how to include the hospital in their estate plans was a little trickier.
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One More Trojan Behind the Magic
Dennis Fernow '63 never imagined that a chance encounter with a homeless man in Los Angeles would forever change his life. While Fernow says the young Austrian (whom we'll call Martin to protect his privacy) was crippled by mental illness and addiction, underneath was a kind and intelligent soul.
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Honoring Our Veterans with an Endowed Scholarship
The G.I. Bill made it possible for 1st Lt. Walter Michal Ross to earn a degree from USC in 1949. Today, almost 70 years later, his daughter Cindy Ross Schrank '68 hopes to help more military veterans and active-duty service members follow in her father's footsteps.
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A Planned Gift to Cheer About
Judy Hunter's first love was football. As the only child of a father who was a huge football fan, Hunter '63 became a student of the game at a young age. Attending USC in the early 1960s deepened her love for football even more.
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