Last week, I was pleased to join in the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. The event was held at Los Angeles City Hall where, back in 1929, civic leaders first approached USC to lead classes on improving government efficiency and inspiring public participation in city affairs. The USC School of Citizenship and Public Administration opened then as only the second program of its kind in the country, planting the seeds of the Price School’s 90-year journey. While the school has evolved over the years, through all the changes it has remained dedicated to educating and inspiring future public servants so that they don’t just succeed in public service, they transform it.
Throughout 2019, the school is introducing pioneers that have studied at Price, including Aja Brown, the youngest (and still-serving) mayor ever elected in Compton, California; Domenika Lynch, President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute; Hilda Solis, the first Latina to serve in the U.S. Cabinet (as Secretary of Labor under President Obama) and current member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors; and many others. Check out the Price School’s introductory video.
I am proud of our faculty at the Price School. They produce cutting-edge scholarship that promotes informed analysis and bold, innovative decisions as city life and public service evolve in the 21st century. Their scholarship touches all facets of life that we hold dear and everything that communities need, including planning, finance, health care, and the design and safety of public spaces.
Events like last week’s remind me of USC’s rich history and how deep our ties to our home city run. We must always keep our past in mind as we build the university of the 21st century. I look forward to supporting Dean Jack Knott and his team as the school – already the #1 public affairs school in the West – continues to be a national model in planning, policy, and administration.
– Michael W. Quick, February 3, 2019