A Scholar for Life
Board of Councilors' Corner
By Nicole St. Pierre
Books have long fascinated Pat Haden.
“My mother, a wonderful woman with deep Irish traditions, always had a
great appreciation for literature,” he says. “As a result, three of her
five children went on to become English majors.”
Haden was one of them. He graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa
from USC College with a B.A. in English Literature in 1975.
“My English classes taught me to think clearly before writing and to
read with a critical eye. I think my College education helped me become
a more well-rounded individual, with an appreciation of literature and
how it can lift the human spirit,” he says.
As a member of the USC College Board of Councilors, Haden is about as well-rounded as they come.
His undergraduate record is the envy of the even brightest students.
1975 was a particularly good year for him; he not only brought the
Trojan football team to victory in the Rose Bowl, earning the national
title, but he was also named a Rhodes Scholar.
Haden says studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford
University, while making friends with students from around the world,
was one of the most incredible experiences of his life.
After returning from England, he played professional football for the
Los Angeles Rams and was named Rookie of the Year in 1976 and the NFL’s
National Conference Player of the year in 1978. Concurrently, he earned
his law degree from Loyola Law School in 1982. Today, he is a partner
in the Los Angeles private equity firm of Riordan, Lewis & Haden,
with former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan.
But the accomplishments he talks most about are his children. “My wife
and I have raised four really interesting, engaged people. The
cumulative positive effect they will have on their communities will be
staggering.”
His oldest two children are graduates of Georgetown University, while
his two sons are currently enrolled in USC. The USC environment, Haden
says, has changed quite a bit since he was a student on campus.
“The USC students sitting next to my sons in class are much more
intellectually capable than they were 20 years ago. They understand a
wider range of issues than my generation, they’re more worldly,” says
Haden, who is also a member of the USC Board of Trustees. “As a result,
the faculty is more engaged and energized.”
When Haden talks to his children about their experience at USC, he is
constantly surprised by the College’s innovative approach to
undergraduate education.
“For one, I think it’s wonderful that students can choose from more
than 100 minors,” he says. “To combine a major, say biology, with a
minor in art history, or international relations makes the educational
experience in the College very unique.”
“The interdisciplinary approach to education at USC is also quite
extraordinary. To take an English class and then incorporate history,
philosophy, geography, for example, really does add a new level of
breadth to a classroom discussion,” he says. “To not only read a book,
but to analyze the time period in which that book was written, and the
culture that existed at the time, adds great value.”
As an avid reader, Haden says his favorite author is usually whoever he
is reading at the time. Today, it’s a book called Aging Well.
“I find the book both interesting and useful. It addresses how best to
lead the last third of one’s life. I have found some of the anecdotal
stories told in this book about the aging process of men and women
uplifting.”
If the last third of his life is anything like the first two, Haden has little to worry about.
|
|
|
