At a June 14 reception, the USC Libraries announced a second major philanthropic gift to the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries, the world’s largest repository of LGBTQ+ materials. Edward McKitrick has donated $1.7 million to endow the curator position at ONE Archives in memory of his late mother, L. Frances McCaulley-McKitrick, a longtime advocate and proud parent of two gay sons.
“I just felt like this was something that I wanted to do,” McKitrick said at the reception, held in the cactus garden of the ONE Archives. “I’ve been so pleased that I could contribute something.”
The gift follows a recent $2.5 million donation from Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis, which endowed the director position at ONE Archives. Together, the gifts total $4.2 million in support of LGBTQ+ scholarship, preservation, and public engagement.
“These gifts could not come at a better time or be more impactful,” said USC Libraries dean Melissa Just. “History demands to be protected and shared so that it can be remembered, understood, and passed on to the next generation.”
For more, read the full story by Greg Hernandez at USC Today.