Did You Know...?

What Trojans were called before they were Trojans? What other horses have had the honor of being USC mascots besides the Traveler steeds? What USC's first school color was? Discover these and other fascinating facts...

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nominated at least one USC alumnus every year since the inception of the Academy Awards in 1929.

• When USC first opened, tuition was $15.00 per term, and students were not allowed to leave town without the knowledge and consent of the university president.

• USC's first class valedictorian was a woman, Minnie C. Miltimore, class of 1884.

• Before they were named Trojans in 1912, USC athletic teams were called the Methodists, as well as the Wesleyans.

• John Oliver Wilson '08 wrote USC's first alma mater, which was replaced in 1923 by Al Wessen's "All Hail."

• The carillon was installed in the von KleinSmid Center tower shortly after the building's dedication in 1967 as a gift from the Town and Gown support group.

• USC physicians serve more than one million patients each year.

• The USC marching band is the only one in the U.S. that has earned a platinum record. In fact, the band's earned two.

• Students at the USC School of Cinema-Television produce over 234 hours of motion picture each year and complete more than 100 full-length screenplays.

• Since 1912, USC is the only university in the world to have a gold medal-winning athlete in every summer Olympiad.

• USC student Tommy Walker composed the trumpet "Charge," now heard far and wide at athletic contests.

• 1957 Alumnus Sol Price is the founder of the Price Club.

• 1929 Alumnus Marion Morrison, known by most as John Wayne, played tackle while at USC.

• 1970 Alumnus Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon.

• Ron Howard and Robert Zemeckis are both USC film school graduates.

• The first Songfest was held in 1954 at the Greek Theater, where 26 groups performed.

• USC's "Fight On" song was used to inspire combat-bound troops in the Aleutians Campaign during World War II.

• Alfred Newman composed USC's regal processional march, "Conquest."

• Listen to the Trojan Marching Band's rendition of Conquest.

• USC's Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy are the first and oldest in Southern California.

• USC is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles.

• The southwest corner of the Pueblo of Los Angeles, the original land grant given by the King of Spain in 1781, is at Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard, across the street from USC.

• A gargoyle monkey at the top of Student Union thumbs his nose at the bust of past university president, Rufus von KleinSmid because of a quarrel he had with the architect over redesigning the building.

• USC graduates designed Los Angeles' City Hall, the Department of Water and Power Building, St. Basil's Catholic Church, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.