Steven Browning Sample (November 29, 1940 – March 29, 2016) was the 10th president of the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

(USC).About us: Steven B. Sample: President Emeritus website
''University of Southern California'', Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California, 2010, Retrieved June 3, 2014. He became president in 1991 and was succeeded by

C. L. Max Nikias Chrysostomos Loizos "Max" Nikias ( el, Χρυσόστομος Λοΐζος Νικίας; born September 30, 1952) is a Cypriot-American academic, and served as the 11th University of Southern California president, a position he held from August ...

on August 3, 2010.C. L. Max Nikias named 11th president of USC
''USC News'', Los Angeles, CA: University of Southern California. March 11, 2010. Retrieved June 3, 2014. Prior to his presidency at USC, Sample was the 12th president of the

University at Buffalo The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 18 ...

(UB) in the

State University of New York The State University of New York (SUNY, , ) is a system of public colleges and universities in the State of New York. It is one of the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States. Led by ...

(SUNY) system from 1982 to 1991. He was succeeded at UB by Bill Greiner.

Education

Sample was born on November 29, 1940Office of the President: Our past presidents: Steven B. Sample
''University at Buffalo'', Buffalo, NY: State University of New York at Buffalo, 2014, Retrieved June 3, 2014. and grew up in the Belden Hill neighborhood of

Wilton, Connecticut Wilton is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 18,503. In 2017, it was the sixth-wealthiest town per capita in Connecticut, the wealthiest U.S. state per capita. Officially reco ...

and received a scholarship to attend the University of Illinois to study engineering. Sample held B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

from the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Un ...

, where he was initiated as a member of the

Beta Theta Pi Beta Theta Pi (), commonly known as Beta, is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of 2022 it consists of 144 active chapters in the Uni ...

fraternity.

Career

University at Buffalo presidency

Sample was president of the

from 1982 to 1991, and was succeeded by Bill Greiner. While president, he gained fame for upgrading the long-languishing sports program, and for guiding the university into being a major research institution. Accordingly, the university's academic functions were consolidated under the office of the provost, in a major change from prior tradition.

Honors

In 2004, Sample was honored by UB with the Charles P. Norton Medal, the highest honor given by the university.Watson, S
Former UB president honored with fund
''Buffalo News'', Buffalo, NY: Berkshire Hathaway. June 2, 2004. Retrieved June 3, 2014. Also in 2004, a scholarship fund was established in Sample's honor to go toward funding four years for an undergraduate who is a student in the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department, as well as being in the University Honors Program. Regarding the establishment of a scholarship fund in his honor, Sample is quoted in a statement, included in an article in the June 2, 2004 edition of ''The Buffalo News'' by Stephen Watson, stating, "I am proud of the fact that, through this endowed scholarship, my name will be permanently linked with the University of Buffalo, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the honors program."

University of Southern California presidency

Under Sample's leadership, USC became world-renowned in the fields of communication and multimedia technologies, received national acclaim for its innovative community partnerships, and improved its status as one of the nation's leading research universities. In 1999, USC was ranked #41 among universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In 2010, the final year of Sample's term, USC was ranked #26 in the same listing (USC is now ranked #23). In 2008, his own salary was $1.9 million. USC announced on November 1, 2009 that Sample would step down as its president in August 2010.Gordon, L
USC chief to step down: The president who led dramatic increases in academic prestige and...
''Los Angeles Times''. November 1, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2014. He explained that he wanted to see "fresh leadership" take charge. After stepping down as President, and following a one-year sabbatical, Sample taught a course at USC with

Warren Bennis Warren Gamaliel Bennis (March 8, 1925 – July 31, 2014) was an American scholar, organizational consultant and author, widely regarded as a pioneer of the contemporary field of Leadership studies. On August 3, 2010, C.L. Max Nikias became the 11th president of the university.

Fundraising

Sample's fundraising initiatives raised more than $430 million for sponsored research. He led two strategic planning processes to improve the university on the whole. During his term, the university also conducted the second most successful fundraising campaign in the history of higher education, raising nearly $3 billion. These donations included major contributions of $112.5 million from Alfred Mann to establish the Mann Institute of Biomedical Engineering, $120 million from Ambassador Walter Annenberg to create the Annenberg Center for Communication, $100 million from the Annenberg Foundation, and a $110 million from the W. M. Keck Foundation for the Keck School of Medicine. More recently, Sample has overseen the $175 million gift from

George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...

to the School of Cinematic Arts.

Construction projects

He oversaw the construction of a number of important structures at USC. These included the Leavey Library, Popovich Hall, the International Residential College at Parkside, the Arts and Humanities Residential College at Parkside, and Ronald Tutor Hall. Additional construction projects included the

Galen Center The Galen Center is a multipurpose indoor arena and athletic facility owned and operated by the University of Southern California. Located at the southeast corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Figueroa Street in the Exposition Park area of Los An ...

, the George Lucas Building at the University Park Campus, the Ronald Tutor Campus Center, and the University Hospital at the Health Sciences Campus.

Research

Sample is the author of numerous journal articles and published papers in science and engineering and in higher education. His patents for digital appliance controls, particularly touch pads on microwave ovens, have been licensed to practically every major manufacturer of appliances in the world. Over 300 million home appliances have been built using his inventions.

Teaching

Sample had a passion for teaching and education at USC. He taught several classes to students in different fields and different class levels. Most recently, he taught "The Art and Adventure of Leadership" with

Books

In 2002, Sample published a book titled ''The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership''.Sample, Steven B. (2002). ''The contrarian's guide to leadership, first edition''. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. It explains his personal leadership philosophy and provides advice to readers. More specifically, it details his style of leadership in the context of USC's rise as an institution in his decade as president.

Personal life

In 2001, Sample was diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms beco ...

, but said he would not let it affect his duties as president.President of USC is fighting Parkinson's disease: Health: Steven B. Sample is the latest in a series of prominent Americans to publicly acknowledge being diagnosed with the neurological disorder
''Los Angeles Times''. December 8, 2001. Retrieved June 3, 2014. Sample was a resident of San Marino, California. On March 29, 2016, Sample died at the age of 75.

References

External links

Steven B. Sample University at Buffalo presidential biography

University of Southern California, President website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sample, Steven B. 1940 births 2016 deaths Leaders of the University at Buffalo Presidents of the University of Southern California University of Southern California faculty American electrical engineers Grainger College of Engineering alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Fellow Members of the IEEE People from San Marino, California Engineers from California 20th-century American Episcopalians