About USC - History - Era of Maturity

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The Era of Maturity (1970–1980)

As USC’s eighth president, historian and university vice president John R. Hubbard, charted his priority as bringing USC to the highest level of academic excellence and distinction possible. Toward this end, he launched the "Toward Century II" campaign, which raised over $309 million in gifts and pledges and helped establish USC as one of the top 20 research universities in the United States.

Although American higher education in the 1970s was characterized by lowered enrollments and a drop-off in funding, USC rose to new heights. Under President Hubbard’s leadership, applications for admission soared from 4,100 in 1970 to more than 11,000 in 1979. Ten major buildings were begun or completed, USC’s total number of endowed chairs and professorships rose to 67, applications for admission increased from 4,100 in 1970 to over 11,000 in 1979, and the mean grade point average for admitted freshmen vaulted to 3.4 on a 4.0 scale.

1970

President John R. Hubbard is elected as USC’s eighth president, and President Emeritus Norman Topping is elected as USC’s second chancellor.

1971

The USC Annenberg School for Communication is established through the support of Ambassador Walter H. Annenberg.

1972

USC’s Joint Educational Project (JEP) — a program that combines academic coursework with community service — is launched, making it one of the oldest service-learning programs in the United States.

1974

The USC School of Urban and Regional Planning is established. Under Coach Rod Dedeaux’s leadership, the university’s baseball team wins its fifth straight NCAA title — a record that no other squad has come close to achieving. USC’s Dedeaux Field opens its gates.

1975

USC’s Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the first gerontology school in the United States, welcomes its first students.

1977

U.S. President Gerald Ford sends USC President Hubbard an autographed $10 bill to satisfy their wager regarding the outcome of the Rose Bowl game, in which USC defeated Michigan.

1978

President Hubbard establishes USC’s Emeriti Center to provide services and support for faculty and staff both prior to retirement and throughout the retirement years. (The Emeriti College, which links emeriti scholars to the community through a lecture series and whose members mentor USC students, was formed in 1990.)

1979

The country’s first university-based institute for the study of hydrocarbons — molecules that are the basis of petroleum products — is dedicated at USC. Fleetwood Mac invites the Trojan Marching Band to perform on the title song for the album “Tusk,” which becomes the band’s first platinum album.

1980

USC celebrates its centennial, John Hubbard steps down from the presidency and returns to teaching, and James H. Zumberge becomes USC’s ninth president.