Tommy Trojan - The Warrior at the Heart of Campus

Photo: Jpenate at English Wikipedia, public domain (cropped)

A stop on USC Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

You are standing in front of the most photographed spot on campus. Officially this bronze warrior is the Trojan Shrine, but everyone calls him Tommy Trojan. He was unveiled on June 6, 1930, as a gift from the alumni association for the university's 50th birthday.

Los Angeles sculptor Roger Noble Burnham did not use a single model. He studied several USC football players of the day and blended them into one idealized athlete, sword in hand and shield at his side. Walk around the base and you will find five words carved there as the qualities of a Trojan: faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous and ambitious.

Tommy also sits at the center of USC's oldest rivalry. Pranksters from UCLA have painted him blue and gold more than once, so before the crosstown football game he is wrapped head to toe in duct tape, and students hold a vigil to guard him through rivalry week.

Look up at his face, then notice how many visitors raise two fingers for a photo. That V is the Trojan victory sign.

Getting here: Start at the statue where Trousdale Parkway meets Childs Way. From the Expo Park/USC Metro station, cross Exposition Boulevard and walk north up Trousdale Parkway for about five minutes.

Did you know?: The statue cost about 10,000 dollars, and part of it was paid with a one-dollar surcharge added to football season tickets.

Photo op: Stand a few steps south of the statue so Tommy's helmet and sword are framed against the sky, with Bovard's brick tower rising behind him.

More on Wikipedia: Tommy Trojan · Roger Noble Burnham · UCLA-USC rivalry

Tommy Trojan - The Warrior at the Heart of Campus

Stops on this tour