OUR STORY
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The mission of the University of Southern California College Democrats is to inspire its members and alumni to pursue their political aspirations during their time at USC and beyond. We're an inclusive organization and recognize the diversity of views held within the Democratic party. Find out how you can get involved with us. To help members and alumni achieve their political aspirations, we gather resources, opportunities, and strong networks.
The College Democrats have had a long and proud history at the University of Southern California dating back to almost the founding of the University itself. The first recorded instance of our club was in 1912 when Trojans rallied around the candidacy of New Jersey Governor Woodrow Wilson for President. In the 1920's, Trojans once again gathered to support the 1920 ticket of Governor James Cox of Ohio and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin Delano Roosevelt. However, it wasn’t until the late 1940's and 1950's that the club began to attain prominence. During this time, members who reinvigorated the club later became some of California’s biggest political influences. These members included Jesse M. Unruh, who went on to become Speaker of the California State Assembly, the late Joe Cerrell, political consultant to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and current Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Krekorian. While the Club has changed names several times over the course of the decades (the Wilsonites, the Cox-Roosevelt Club, Trojan Democrats, until finally the USC College Democrats) it has consistently been a force of political activism and engagement on this campus. As a result, USC has drawn many notable figures to speak, including then-Senator John F. Kennedy, President Gerald Ford, President Barack Obama, and Senator Al Franken. In recent years, the USC College Democrats have fought to elect Democrats on almost every level of elected government. Students for Barack Obama (later named Trojans for Obama), a sister organization founded in 2008, was the largest recorded on-campus club in the University's history. In 2012 alone, the USC College Democrats placed thousands of calls for President Barack Obama and other major Democratic candidates, and continued the tradition of support during Hillary Clinton's bid in 2016. If you are an alumnus of the USC College Democrats and have any stories, pictures, or information to share about our organization's history, email us and let us know! As one of the oldest on-campus student-run organizations, we are proud of our work and eager to share it with the University community. Now that you know our history, let’s make history together. Join our team. |
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