During an evening of celebration, the Trojan Family thanked members of its most generous philanthropic group, The Widney Society, for their unwavering dedication to building the future of the University of Southern California.
USC President C. L. Max Nikias emphasized the enormous strides the University has made throughout its history, from its inception in 1880, its growth as an academic powerhouse under each successive presidency, to the ambitious launch of the $6 billion Campaign for USC that was announced three years ago. At the time of its launch in 2011, the campaign was the largest fundraising goal ever announced in higher education.
“This generation of Trojans set the bar even higher,” he remarked. “We announced this audacious goal during the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression…and USC has already raised $3 billion in just three years.”
President Nikias credited the many generous Trojans who participated in the Campaign for laying the groundwork for current and future success.
“Most other universities today are cutting back on academic excellence, just to survive,” he noted. “But today USC is able to make incredible investments in academic excellence because of you.”