Since the program’s first graduating class, Los Angeles has grown from a small town to a world class city. USC architecture graduates have played a fundamental role in this growth process.  Renowned alumni, including Pritzker Prize winners Frank O. Gehry and Thom Mayne, have established world wide reputations for creative and controversial architectural expression.

Graduates, like the late landscape architect Emmet Wemple, have made contributions to large civic projects that form the foundation for the public image of Los Angeles.  Some, like Jon Jerde, through his work with the 1984 Olympics, Euro Disney in Paris, and Universal CityWalk, create evocative, whimsical environments.

The list goes on, including the innovative Thom Mayne of Morphosis and the late, civic-minded National AIA Whitney Young Jr. award winner Robert Kennard.  Pierre Koenig, Raphael Soriano, Carl Maston, Don Hensman, Conrad Buff, and Cal Straub all went on to receive critical acclaim.  Albert Martin, Bill Blurock, Gin Wong, Bob Langdon, Ernest Wilson, and MacDonald Becket, through large-scale projects, have changed the appearance of cities both nationally and internationally.

Joining the ranks of USC architecture graduates is a prestigious privilege reserved for the most dedicated, talented and hardworking of today’s young people.

Distinguished Alumnus Award
Each year the School of Architecture honors a distinguished alumnus who has enriched and honored the profession of architecture. Past recipients are: