I probably passed this building a hundred times without giving it much thought. It wasn't until this past fall (2006) as I walked across campus in the early evening, that I began to notice how special this building is. Bathed in the light of the late afternoon sun and a spectacularly-lit Carillon Tower, the Von KleinSmid Center captures the imagination. USC President Rufus B. von KleinSmid, who held a keen interest in the study of international relations, nurtured the founding of the school, for the purpose of 'furnishing opportunities for the training of statesmen for consular and diplomatic service, of businessmen for commerce and business administration, and for teachers in departments related to world affairs in colleges and universities.' The school is the third oldest in the world devoted to the study of international affairs.
The Von KleinSmid Center was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 1056) in December 2013. Please do not use this image in any media without my permission. © All rights reserved.
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