George Lucas Donates $175 Million to USC

I don’t have much personal opinion to say about this, so I’ll pull a few quotes from news articles.

George Lucas made a public announcement today, September 20, saying that his Lucasfilm Foundation will give $175 million to the University of Southern California. This is the largest single donation the university has ever received. Part of the money will be used for the construction of a new 137,000-square foot, state-of-the-art home for the university’s acclaimed cinema school.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the school’s new building is scheduled for Oct. 4.

Lucas, who created the “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” films, made the donation through the Lucasfilm Foundation. Forbes magazine in March estimated his net worth as $3.5 billion.

USC, founded in 1880, is home to the oldest film school in the United States, and today is one of the most selective universities in the nation, also popular among filmmakers who have used its buildings as movie sets. Movies filmed at USC include “Forrest Gump” which filmed using Marks Hall and the Bovard Administration Building. Other movies include “Legally Blonde,” “Road Trip,” “The Girl Next Door,” “Ghostbusters,” and “The Graduate”.

Covered by: Forbes, Bloomberg, Playfuls, Los Angeles Times