“President – University of Southern California. Dr. Topping was a patient and gracious ‘sitter’. He came once or twice a week for many months…Mrs. Topping had brought me her favorite photograph of the doctor, but it was taken some 20 years ago and did not show the strength and determination that I wanted to portray. When the sculptured bust was finished, Mrs. Topping did not like the portrait. She exclaimed, ‘This is not a portrait of my husband’. I answered quickly, without intending to offend, ‘I did not make a portrait of your husband. I made a portrait of the President of the University.”
Description of the Norman Topping bust given by Emil Seletz in his book Portrait Sculpture
