The Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine was established in 1933 and named J. MacKenzie Brown, M.D. its first chairman. At the time, a private university hospital didn’t exist and essentially all of the clinical activities of the School took place at the Los Angeles County Hospital. The faculty of the Department was comprised largely of volunteer community physicians, the majority of whom had also received their training there.

Howard House, M.D. succeeded J. Mackenzie Brown as Department Chair. The department's stature grew steadily during the 1940s and 1950s. Dr. House recruited a large, talented, and loyal volunteer faculty. During these years, the majority of head and neck surgery and facial cosmetic surgery was done by the Department of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery. Due to the increasing demands of the House Ear Institute in the 1960s, Dr. House retired as chairman and was succeeded by Alden Miller, M.D. By this time, the Los Angeles County Hospital had become the largest, busiest hospital in the United States with an average daily census of 1800. Beginning in the 1960s, the medical school began to expand its mission beyond patient care and clinical research to include basic science research. In 1983, Dr Miller retired and was succeeded by Dale H. Rice, M.D. as chairman. At this time, the teaching program was completely reorganized, the research program was expanded, 4 full time Ph.D.'s were hired as were several additional full time M.D. faculty. In addition the close affiliation with the House Ear Clinic and Institute was strengthened.

In addition to the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, clinical training and clinical research facilities have grown to include the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital and Institution, the Institute for Genetic Medicine and the Institute for Head and Neck Molecular Biology. Currently the Department boasts a diverse faculty representing every aspect of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Specialties include head and neck surgery, endoscopic sinus surgery, laryngology, otology, neurootology, microvascular free flaps, craniofacial surgery, cleft surgery, facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and trauma.