Issue: Autumn 2005

Mailbag

We welcome letters from readers, although we do reserve the right to select and edit for space. Send letters to:

Mailbag, c/o USC Trojan Family Magazine, University of Southern California,
Los Angeles, CA 90089-7790, fax: (213) 821-1100, e-mail: magazines@usc.edu

‘Ladies’ First

A special garland of roses to the author of “First Ladies of Troy,” Annette Moore (Summer 2005, p. 38)! I have no idea of where and how far she delved to obtain sources, but they certainly correspond to my family records as far as accuracy. And her delicate character sketches let me feel that I was really given the chance to know some of the ancestors I have long revered.

What an interesting series of studies can be created out of a seemingly “standard” article. I take that back – the article that was created by Ms. Moore will never be considered “standard.” It was neatly and nicely done. Deep personal appreciation to her, and to the publishers.

Gilbert K. Bovard
Clear Lake, IA

Mr. Bovard is the grandnephew of former USC president George Finley Bovard and first lady Emma Bradley Bovard.

After reading the article “First Ladies of Troy,” I couldn’t help but reminisce about my mother and her role in the early days of USC in the 1930s.

My father, Wesley Carlton Drummond, and my mother, Dora Elizabeth “Betty” Blankenbeckler, were both born in 1903. They met while teaching in Norfolk, Neb., fell in love, got married and moved to Long Beach, Calif.

While my dad worked on his master’s degree at USC, my mother became a charter member of the USC Dames Club, the Southern California chapter of the National Association of University Dames, in 1934. As quoted in a newspaper article at that time, “The USC Dames Club provided a common bond for those women whose husbands are students at the university.” My mother served as vice president and then was president from 1935 to 1936.

While my mother was active in the USC Dames Club, she was also accompanying my dad to Pi Delta Phi French Honorary Society functions at USC after he was initiated in 1932, and to Sigma Delta Pi Spanish Honorary Society functions at USC after he was initiated in 1933.

My parents encouraged me to go to USC, and I was fortunate to have good grades and receive a full-tuition scholarship in 1955. I am very proud to be a USC alum, and I am even more proud of my parents for being actively involved at USC during the 1930s.

Mary Lou (Drummond) Tudor ’59
Lake Havasu City, AZ

Your wonderful “First Ladies of Troy” article prompts me to write and ask if you have any information about Wilson College, a school that preceded USC as a Methodist College in Southern California.

I am a docent at the Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in Wilmington, Calif., and according to the information we have, in 1973 Mr. Ben D. Wilson donated 10 acres of land and some buildings from the original Army base to the Los Angeles Conference of Methodists to form a live-in college. The July 23, 1874, edition of the Wilmington Enterprise reported the completion of the first school term under the management of Mrs. W.H. Mason and Miss Lillian Word. On Aug. 20, 1874, the Enterprise announced the start of the next term with Reverend A.M. Campbell as president.

Don McDowell’s book, The Beat of the Drum, published by the Drum Barracks Garrison in 1993, gives a good account of the next two years of operations at the college and lists many of the teachers in residence. But the financial panic in the U.S. in 1885 depleted the support for the school, and it was forced to close. The book goes on to say: “The impending opening of a larger Methodist College just south of Los Angeles on 348 acres donated by I.W. Hellman, O.W. Childs, and ex-governor J.G. Downey undoubtedly was a factor in the decision to close Wilson College.”

David J. Bean MBA ’69
Torrance, CA

USC researcher Annette Moore responds: Thank you for the information about Wilson College, which indeed was a predecessor to USC in Southern California’s academic landscape. You might be interested to know that, besides Wilson College and USC, there was yet another Methodist educational institution in Southern California during the late 1800s. It was the Los Angeles Academy, a preparatory school that opened in 1876 and was housed initially in a former church building on Fort Street. The academy operated until May 1880, after which point its trustees and the Southern California Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church elected to transfer “the assets, patronage, good-will, and denominational enthusiasm to the University of Southern California” – which, as we know, opened its doors on Oct. 6, 1880.

The Summer 2005 edition has a photograph of Emma Bovard on page 45. The caption dates the photo to 1866. Just a quick glance at the style of her dress and hair immediately indicated to me that the correct date of the photograph should be somewhere in the 1880s rather than the 1860s. Reading the article confirmed my suspicions.

Paul Gonzalez ’73
Augusta, GA

You are correct – the date should have been 1886. We regret the error.

Omission of Art

Unfortunately, on the occasion of one of the artist’s largest exhibition of paintings, Mr. Divito chose to write much more about Peter Plagens’ writing (“Paint and Tell,” Summer 2005, p. 22).

Michael H. Smith ’76
Santa Barbara, CA

No Art to Omission

You ran a great story in the Spring 2005 issue of USC Trojan Family Magazine about what Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans did for 11-year-old cancer patient Ryan Davidson, and failed to mention the USC alumnus who started the whole thing (Editor’s Note, p. 4).

It’s true that the Trojans were absolutely wonderful to Ryan Davidson, but it was James A. Phillips ’68, MBA ’73, an investment counselor and president of Pacific Investment Advisory in La Canada, Calif., who brought Ryan to Carroll’s attention. Jim bought the child and his father 45-yard-line tickets for the USC-Cal game, invited them to stay in his home during their trip to California, and sent a limo to the airport to pick them up. He also contacted Carroll’s office to arrange for Ryan to go to a practice where he met Carroll, Matt Leinart and most of the team and coaches.

Covered first in local papers, Ryan’s story appeared across the country from Orange County to Miami, and even in
the Canadian press. It was picked up on the Internet, and Trojan Club in North Texas named Ryan an honorary member. Wouldn’t Mr. Phillips’ own alumni magazine care to mention his generosity?

Sheila Rockenbach ’85
Pasadena, CA

Thank you for adding this information on James Phillips and the indispensible role he played in bringing together Ryan Davidson, Coach Pete Carroll and the USC football team. It makes an inspiring story even more inspiring, and is a wonderful embodiment of the Trojan Spirit.

And the Debate Goes On

In writing about Trojan football’s greatest games, John A. Eyed ’42 states it was the game between No. 1 Duke and the 1939 Trojan team played in the 1941 Rose Bowl (Mailbag, Summer 2005, p. 10). Sorry, John, but this game was played Jan. 1, 1940. Many of the players, such as Doyle Nave, Bob Hoffman, Roy Engle and Bob Winslow, were P.E. majors, as was I.

There are too many great games to try to pick out the greatest, but the most thrilling game of all was USC’s comeback against Notre Dame, winning 55-24 in 1974.

Fred L. Albright ’40
Laguna Woods, CA

Notice Board

Do you have a story about a person or moment at USC that changed your life? A chance encounter with your future spouse? Cheering the Trojans to victory in the Rose Bowl? In celebration of USC’s 125th anniversary, we are compiling a living history of USC as seen through your eyes. Help us build this unique Trojan Family Album by going to http://alumni.usc.edu/ scrapbook and sharing your USC story.

Judith Blumenthal MBA ’84, PhD ’88
Associate Vice President,
Alumni Relations
Campus

The USC Black Alumni Association is presently seeking information about all black USC alumni, especially the earlier ones, to include in a special 125th celebration publication. Please contact us at (213) 740-8342 if you have information, memorabilia or photographs you’d like to contribute.

Lura Ball ’79
Director, USC Black Alumni Association
Campus

We need your assistance in preserving the heritage of our university. The USC University Archives exist to collect, preserve and make available records having permanent value in documenting the history and growth of the university: its administrative offices, academic departments and USC-related organizations, as well as the activities of faculty, staff and students. Books (including faculty publications), manuscripts, USC periodicals and newspapers, posters, photographic images, disc and tape recordings and other archival items are available for research under supervised conditions.

USC’s vital community can be of enormous assistance in assuring the preservation of the institutional memory of our school. Gifts of papers, pictures, letters, programs, student publications, any item contributing to documentation of the history of USC, will be greatly appreciated and carefully preserved.

Please contact me at (213) 743-2435 or czachary@usc.edu, or visit us at www.usc.edu/arc/libraries/uscarchives.

Claude Zachary
USC University Archivist
Campus

Alcohol in the Coliseum

Open Letter to the Trojan Family:

As we anticipate an exciting Trojan football season, I want to make sure you know about an important change at the Coliseum. Beginning with the season opener on Sept. 17, alcohol will no longer be sold inside the Coliseum at our home games.

I recognize that this new policy represents a big change from what we were accustomed to, but most if not all of our peers have made this change, and we can too. Up until now, USC was the only Pac-10 university that sold or permitted alcohol in its football stadium. All across the country, universities are promoting a clean, safe and family-friendly environment in which their fans can enjoy their teams’ games.

The university is serious about this issue, and there are serious consequences for infractions of the ban. Any fan who possesses alcohol inside the stadium, who acts in a drunken or disorderly way, or who uses threatening or obscene language will be evicted from the Coliseum and will permanently lose the privilege of buying tickets to our home football games.

I’m sure that many of you have witnessed an escalation in the rude behavior of fans over the years, rudeness that is almost always exacerbated by alcohol consumption. This deterioration in fan behavior is a nationwide trend, I might add, not a USC phenomenon. Still, I’ve been dismayed to see some of our own students and alumni (albeit a relatively small number) behaving obnoxiously.

I hope that you will support these new rules and join me in modeling civility and good sportsmanship whenever you attend our home football games. With your help, the entire Trojan Family will be able to enjoy this football season to the fullest.

Steven B. Sample
President

The Last Word

Strong But Not Forgotten

Three out of four ain’t bad. That’s how many of the more than 200 entries we received in our tribute to alpha-females puzzle were sans flaw. (Imagine if we awarded $30 gift certificates to each correct entry. That would come to $4,350. To quote a contemporary alpha-female from the movie Clueless: “As if!”)

We were amused by some of the erroneous answers. For example, while her tale is arguably gothic, Lady MacBeth was not literally a Goth. Also, note that Helen of Troy, troublesome as she proved to Menelaus, never did serve up their kiddies for supper. Hard pressed to identify our love-lorn 12th-century religieuse, many an educated guesser came up with Hildegarde von Bingen. Poor sainted Hildegarde is surely turning in her grave to be so easily confused with the scandalous Heloise of Paris. Another case of mistaken identity concerns Britain’s martial Queen Boadicea. Are we churlish to cavil at the minor matter of a millennium gap between her Rome-bashing heyday and Queen Aethelflaed’s routing of the Danes? Other memorable misidentifications concerned Amalasuntha (6th-century queen of the Ostrogoths), who, alas, never makes an appearance in Shakespeare; and the Greek lyric poet Sappho, who did influence ancient literary giants Ovid and Catullus but, given her presumed sexual orientation (the term lesbian is derived from the name of her island home, Lesbos), would have been an unlikely paramour to Pericles.

To our five winners, chosen randomly from 145 correct entries, USC Trojan Family Magazine extends $30 Borders gift certificates. The lucky contestants are: Mary Lo MS ’98, Katrina Bagaybagayan MA ’00, Rina Russo Evans MLS ’80, Janine Wanee ’88 and Mark Weissman MBA ’63. The answers to “Strong But Not Forgotten” appear below.

1. Cleopatra
2. Tamora
3. Heloise
4. Lysistrata
5. Aspasia
6. Joan of Arc
7. Medea
8. Aethelflaed
9. Judith
10. Clytemnestra