Tommy Trojan, officially known as the Trojan Shrine, is one of the most recognizable figures of school pride at the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
. The life-size
bronze statue of a
Trojan
Trojan or Trojans may refer to:
* Of or from the ancient city of Troy
* Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...
warrior stands in the center of campus and serves as a popular meeting spot, as well as a centerpiece for a number of campus events. It is the most popular unofficial mascot of the university.
History
The Trojan Shrine was sculpted by
Roger Noble Burnham, who used
USC football players such as
Russ Saunders
Stebbell Russell "Russ" Saunders (January 1, 1906 - April 29, 1987) was an American football fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played with the Green Bay Packers during the 1931 NFL season.
He was an All-American at USC and was ...
,
Ernie Pinckert, Henry Becker, Larry Stevens and John Ward as visual references for the statue. It was unveiled during the University's 50th Jubilee in 1930. It cost $10,000 to build, after which a $1 surcharge was added onto the season football tickets in order to help offset this cost.
The original name suggested for the statue was The
Spirit of Troy
The USC Trojan Marching Band, also known as the Spirit of Troy, represents the University of Southern California (USC) at various collegiate sports, broadcast, popular music recording, and national public appearance functions.
The Spirit of ...
, but that name went to the school's marching band.
On August 17, 2017, during the USC village grand opening, the Hecuba, Queen of Troy statue was unveiled to the public. This large statue serves as the female counterpart to Tommy Trojan and represents the Women of USC.
Features
Tommy Trojan is located at the core of the campus and often serves as a meeting ground for students and visitors. Many people take pictures with the statue. The Shrine is surrounded by the Bovard Administration Building, Ronald Tutor Campus Center, and Alumni Park. Trousdale Parkway passes next to the statue. USC offers the Tommy Cam, which is a live image of the statue, with daily time-lapse videos.
Inscribed on the base of the statue are the five attributes of the ideal USC Trojans, Trojan: Faithful, Scholarly, Skillful, Courageous and Ambitious. On the reverse is a plaque bearing a quote by Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...
: "Here are provided seats of meditative joy, where shall rise again the destined reign of Troy."
Vandalism
USC's cross-town rival UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
had vandalized Tommy Trojan (often by painting the statue in the UCLA colors of blue and gold) during the week of the annual USC-UCLA football game. To prevent this, university officials now cover the statue during that week to protect it from UCLA vandals. Students also gather for Save Tommy Nite on the night before the game against UCLA. In addition, members of the Trojan Knights
The Trojan Knights are an American service and spirit organization associated specifically with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. The organization is officially dedicated to "Brotherhood, Service, & Spirit" and its ...
maintain an all-night vigil around Tommy Trojan during the rivalry week to further deter would-be vandals.
Identity
Many people identify Tommy Trojan as the symbol of the university. However, Tommy Trojan is not USC's official mascot; that title belongs to Traveler, a white Andalusian horse. Before Traveler, a real local dog named George Tirebiter served as the unofficial mascot. A statue of the dog is also a feature of the campus.
References
External links
About.usc.edu
*Photographs featuring inscriptions from the base
Tommy Trojan, the Mascot of USC
{{USC Trojans football navbox
Traditions at the University of Southern California
1930 sculptures
Bronze sculptures in California
Statues in Los Angeles
1930 establishments in California
Sculptures of men in California
Vandalized works of art in California
Outdoor sculptures in California