Trojan Knights
| The Trojan Knights | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Founded | 1921 University of Southern California |
| Type | Service/Social/Spirit |
| Mission statement |
To embody the five aspects of an ideal Trojan: |
| Object | The Trojan Knights Bench |
| Maxim | Brotherhood. Philanthropy. Spirit. |
| Colors | Cardinal & Gold |
| Symbol | The Trojan Knights Crest |
| Philanthropy | Swim With Mike/Trojan Knights Carnival |
| Chartered | 1921 |
| Headquarters |
Los Angeles, California United States |
| Website | www.TrojanKnights.org |
To embody the five aspects of an ideal Trojan:
Faithful,
Scholarly,
Skillful,
Courageous,
The Trojan Knights are an American service and spirit organization associated specifically with the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. The organization is officially dedicated to "Brotherhood, Philanthropy, & Spirit" and its members have been recognized by USC as the "Official Hosts of the University" and "Guardians of Tradition." The group has been a part of many university traditions and remains active in on- and off-campus events and causes. While not a traditional Greek fraternity, the Trojan Knights have many characteristics similar to fraternities such as a pledge semester, rush process, and strong brotherhood. The Trojan Knights currently involve themselves in several service events including the USC founded "Swim with Mike," benefiting a scholarship for disabled persons aspiring to attend college, and the annual "Trojan Knights Carnival," a carnival held on Los Angeles's Skid Row benefiting the children of those families.
The Knights were founded in 1921 by USC students Harry Pryor, Harry Kennedy, and Lindley Bothwell.
Bothwell is also credited with numerous other contributions to USC's spirit activities including coaching both USCs Song Girls and the now-defunct USC Yell Leaders and, along with fellow founder Harry Pryor, the introduction of organized card stunts at football games in 1922.
In the early years, the organization's recruiting process was systematically tied to that of the university's Greek fraternities, and the majority of new members were also members of a Greek-letter fraternity. Emblematic of these early ties is the fact that Lindley Bothwell is also credited with helping to found the USC chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity five years later in 1926, though the national organization ultimately revoked the chapter's charter in 2014 after allegations of both sexual assault and hazing.
After the USC-UCLA rivalry game in 1941, six Trojan Knights (also members of the Sig Ep fraternity) discreetly plotted and carried out what is now politely referred to as the 'appropriation' of the Victory Bell from the UCLA sidelines. After a year-long prank war between the schools and threats by the administration to cancel that year's game, the bell was returned and subsequently made the official rivalry trophy of the annual game by contract between the student body presidents of the two universities.
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Wikipedia