USC held its graduation ceremony Thursday night at the Coliseum. It was an odd atmosphere for those used to the traditional Friday morning ceremonies on campus. But Carol Folt wanted to lock down access to the event, which is easier to do at the Coliseum.
This was the scene Thursday evening as students and families made their way from campus to the Coliseum.
- Former USC guard Desmond Claude will visit Alabama on Sunday.
- And now for some history:
- A group of USC students joined the Army Reserve Corps on campus around the outset of World War II and six weeks later left their classes when they were called to active duty in 1942.
They called themselves “The Raiders” and among the members was USC football player Don Clark, who was 20 when he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He lost six fillings in his teeth when a German 88 mm artillery shell went off near him. Clark returned to USC and played in 1946-47, became an assistant coach for five seasons and was USC head coach from 1957-59. He also hired John McKay as an assistant (and Al Davis).
Another member was pole vaulter Vern Wolfe, who cleared an impressive 14-feet (before fiberglass poles) for the Trojans. Wolfe became a paratrooper for 3.5 years and returned to USC after the war to get his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. He then became a high school coach and in 1963 was hired as the track coach at USC, where he won seven NCAA titles before he retired in 1984.
Another member was Pat Hillings, who went to the South Pacific and returned to become a U.S. congressman from 1951-59. Another member was Russell Chesley, who became football coach at East Los Angeles College.
- USC doesn’t play Oregon State anymore but we still have nice pictures like this one from 1981. The Trojans were ranked No. 1 when they defeated the Beavers, 56-22.
- When USC had its Homecoming in 1967, it honored all its Olympians since 1912. Among those who showed up were gold medalists Buster Crabbe (swimming); Murray Rose (swimming); Roy Saari (swimming); Rex Cawley (hurdles); Dallas Long (shot put) and Parry O’Brien (shot put).
Side note: Vern Wolfe coached Dallas Long at North Phoenix High School in the 1950’s.
- USC nose guard Larry Nunnally (93) tackles Pitt tailback Tony Dorsett in 1974. Ironically, USC was ranked No. 18 and Pitt was No. 8 for this game. USC won, 16-7, and finished the season ranked No. 1 in the UPI poll.
Also pictured are linebacker Mario Celotto (59) and either defensive tackle Art Riley (70) or defensive tackle Gary Jeter (79).
- Dick Allmon was an important player on the 1967 team, playing center and blocking for O.J. Simpson. But Allmon was a defensive end in 1966 playing behind Tim Rossovich and had never played center prior to the 1967 season.
“I was talking with Rossovich and Coach McKay on picture day,” Allmon said. “Coach asked us how our summers were and then asked me if I’d ever played center before, which I hadn’t.
“Then he told me to go over to our offensive line coach and tell him I wanted to play center.”
That’s how things got done in those days.
- They just don’t appreciate illustrations anymore in college sports. You won’t find anything today like the cover of the basketball media guide in 1976-77 featuring “Marvelous” Marv Safford.
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK
Let’s go back to 1967, where Esther and Abi Ofarim perform “Morning of My Life.” It’s worth listening to for Esther’s splendid vocals. The song was written by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.
With that in mind, let’s also feature the Bee Gees in 1967 with “To Love Somebody.”
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
The world war two generation was something else. And for the most part, they were modest and reluctant to talk about their contributions. Another great column Scott.
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Imagine how different USC would be if Don Young and his assistant John McKay didn’t survive WWII….they were true patriots.
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“Don Clark lost six fillings in his teeth when a German 88 mm artillery shell went off near him.”
Ed. G, teeing it up for you, brother!
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KAM: So let me get this straight the Air Force One plane that was a gift from Qatar that the Fake News Media has obsessed about all week was actually a conversation that was started a year ago by the Senile Joe Biden administration with the Qataris?
DON: You literally can’t make this stuff up.
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KAM: Disturbing Audio of Robert Hur’s Interview Showing Biden Repeatedly Struggling to Remember Names and Dates Released tonight…At one point during the interview, Senile Joe Biden went on and on about shooting a bow and arrow in Mongolia. forgot when he was Vice President and also couldn’t remember when his beloved son Beau died.
DON: Robert Hur found that Senile Joe Biden “willfully retained” classified information, however, he decided not to charge him. Hur said there is evidence Senile Joe Biden retained classified notebooks, “knowing he was not allowed to do so.”
The Justice Department defended not bringing charges against Senile Joe Biden because he’s a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
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Just listened to the recording. Elder abuse. And this was in 2023.
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Jill cared more about being First Lady than she cares about Joe. She wasn’t going to allow his dementia to get in her way. She is classless.
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Who was actually running the country ?
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We’ll never know. Biggest scandal in our lifetimes. But the people who voted for it will never admit it. They pretend they aren’t responsible for the bad guys of the world doing as they pleased for 4 years and laughing at the weak, feeble old man who sometimes didn’t know where he was and had trouble walking without falling on his face.
The crybaby wants us to move on, but the books are barely coming out now. The Dims are the ones in the news THIS WEEK, trying to play the plausible deniability card.
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KAM: The past 24 hours have been something of a Rorschach Test for the Supreme Court. In the birthright citizenship case, the Court made clear that in emergencies, the judiciary must retain the power to enter universal injunctions, even if Article III does not otherwise permit such injunctions. And in A.A.R.P. v. Trump, the Court made clear that in emergencies, the court should certify a class without going through Rule 23, and grant an ex parte tro without considering any of the usual TRO factors.
What lesson should lower court judges take away? In cases of perceived emergencies, forget all the rules and make stuff up. When the executive branch takes such actions we call it an autocracy. When the courts do it, they call it the “rule of law.”
DON: Well, that’s it then. We had a good run, America, but the stupidity of our “elites” has destroyed our system of government.
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Scooter,
My dad missed the Battle of the Buldge by two weeks. He was in the Army Air Corp and he was shipped to Fairbanks Alasaka for hsi service. He siad he lost many frinds that did go to the Buldge. That was a tough battle.
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