The most dedicated supporters of USC’s Good Neighbors Campaign enjoyed a night of Greek food, music and entertainment the night of October 6 at the president’s house in San Marino.
The annual President’s Distinguished Leadership Circle Dinner honors USC staff and faculty who contribute at least 1 percent of their salaries to the Good Neighbors Campaign, USC’s hugely successful program of community outreach and education.
“This is the first year we’ve had the opportunity to host this event at our home, which we love to use as a warm gathering place for the most dedicated members of the Trojan Family,” President C. L. Max Nikias told the appreciative crowd of more than 300.
Thanking guests for their dedication, Nikias quoted USC’s fourth president, George Finley Bovard, who described emphatically the role that USC would play in the life of Los Angeles.
“There are two kinds of institution, both of which have their place. One is the small college, with country surroundings and with a campus far from the city. The other is the city institution—the university which tries to solve the problems of the city,” Bovard stated.
Now in its 18th year, the Good Neighbors Campaign has raised over $12.5 million to support more than 400 community partnerships, with 100 percent of contributions going to the intended recipients. This year the campaign is seeking to raise $1.4 million.
Nikias concluded by placing the words of the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero in the context of the campaign.
“We do not exist for ourselves alone. We exist for the community. That is what it means to be a Good Neighbor, and I am grateful that this truth finds its expression in the women and men here in this room.”
(See more photos from the event on the president’s photostream.)