The following historical bio of Rufus von KleinSmid does not include the full picture of a complex and controversial man. We believe it is important to acknowledge the good and bad so we can foster discussions around the challenges that arise when historical figures don’t measure up to modern standards of decency. Please note that the biography is in the process of being rewritten in a way that accurately reflects the complexity – and complicity – of one of the university’s early leaders.

Born in Sandwich, Ill., Rufus Bernhard von KleinSmid (1875-1964) began his career in school administration in 1897 as the Illinois superintendent of public schools. He earned his A.B. and M.A. degrees from Northwestern University and was a professor of education and psychology at DePauw University from 1905 to 1914. During his last few years at DePauw, he also served as state psychologist, founding the American Association of Criminal Psychology and establishing laboratories for research in criminal psychology in the state’s penal institutions.

In 1914, von KleinSmid became president of the University of Arizona. During his seven-year tenure there, his ambitious development and construction program earned him a reputation as the university’s “building president.”

Upon accepting the position as USC’s fifth president in 1921, von KleinSmid found a growing but undeniably modest institution composed of eight schools and colleges and enrolling 5,635 students, with a campus encompassing a mere eight buildings. Within six months of his inauguration, the new president announced plans for a $10 million capital campaign to raise funds for new buildings as well as endowment. Although the campaign ultimately fell short of its goal, it did fund the construction of several much-needed facilities.

In addition to raising money, von KleinSmid sought to unify and restructure the various academic units of the university, some of which were affiliated with USC but governed by their own boards. During his first few years in office, the schools of pharmacy, oratory, music and law were fully integrated into the university. To strengthen USC’s ties to the community, he also created the Extension Division in 1922, which offered afternoon and evening classes in locations ranging from Glendale to San Diego. The first Ph.D. degree conferred in Southern California was given at USC in 1923. In 1924, von KleinSmid established the country’s first School of International Relations and its annual Institute of World Affairs. In collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he created the country’s first school of cinema at USC in 1929.

In 1928, as USC approached the 50^th anniversary of its founding, USC’s student body numbered more than 15,000 and represented 34 separate denominations and religions. Von KleinSmid — USC’s first layman president — launched another $10 million campaign and, to enable the university to receive contributions under California law, convinced the Board of Trustees to secularize the university and amend the articles of incorporation so that the board would be self-perpetuating. Although the university had raised nearly $2.3 million toward its goal within a year of this decision, the stock market crash effectively ended the campaign.

Although the Great Depression took a toll on the university, USC continued to grow. In fact, 1930 was a landmark year for USC. Four buildings — Mudd Memorial Hall of Philosophy, Bridge Memorial Hall, the Physical Education Building and Science Hall (today’s Zumberge Hall) — were dedicated, as was Tommy Trojan. The student body had become cosmopolitan, and USC was ranked third in the United States in international enrollment. The magnificent new Edward L. Doheny Memorial Library opened its doors on the first day of school in fall 1932. USC made progress in distance learning when the “University of the Air” debuted in 1934, and four years later, USC became the only university in the country to write and produce television programs. The university’s research and academic enterprise expanded, and USC gained an endowed research foundation when Capt. G. Allan Hancock, president of the Board of Trustees, created the Allan Hancock Foundation for Scientific Research. The Hancock Foundation Building was completed in 1940.

With the advent of World War II, however, major changes were in store. Male students went off to war, and the government instituted military training programs on campus. Army barracks were constructed, and the armed forces took over certain university buildings. The curriculum was accelerated and adjusted to a wartime emphasis on fields such as international relations, history, geography, languages and aerospace science. USC also became a center for war-related research, housing a high-altitude chamber and the largest experimental blackout centrifuge in the country.

After the war, enrollment swelled with the influx of veterans enrolling under the G.I. Bill. Before Pearl Harbor, USC had enrolled an average of 6,000 full-time day students. Less than five months after the war ended, the student body consisted of 8,300 daytime students and 3,500 evening students. The following year, there were 10,500 veterans among the 15,000 day students. The numbers continued to skyrocket, reaching a peak in 1947-48, when USC’s combined daytime and evening enrollment reached 24,000, mostly former servicemen.

Von KleinSmid, then 71 years old, stepped down from the presidency in 1947 and was named chancellor for life. His presidency left a remarkable legacy: a university transformed from a modest local denominational institution with a scattering of schools and facilities to a consolidated secular institution with 24 schools and colleges, 16 buildings, and national accreditation and standing.