Historic campus building to be renamed in honor of USC Dornsife alumnus Joseph Medicine Crow
Joseph Medicine Crow had a knack for making history.
He was the first member of the Apsáalooke (Crow) to earn a master’s degree. He became the tribe’s last war chief in recognition of heroic actions while fighting for the U.S. Army during World War II. Medicine Crow was a tribal historian for the Apsáalooke (Crow) Nation for more than 50 years, publishing seminal and influential works about Native American history and culture.
So, it’s fitting that the late USC alumnus now has a prominent and lasting place in his alma mater’s history after university leaders announced the naming of the Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs.
Medicine Crow completed his master’s degree in anthropology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences while on scholarship in 1939 and received an honorary doctorate in 2003 — one of four honorary doctorates awarded throughout his life. He died in April 2016 at age 102.
A scholarship made it possible for Medicine Crow to attend USC Dornsife as a graduate student. USC President Carol L. Folt plans to pay his legacy forward with a scholarship program for Native American students in his name that represents the principles echoed in this recognition today.
“Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow was an ambassador and bridge builder who used education to create intercultural understanding and promote collaboration between peoples and communities,” Folt said. “Likewise, this building is an important nexus of interdisciplinary study that unites people across differences. Naming the building — and establishing a scholarship program — in his honor pays tribute to his life and legacy and ensures future generations of students have the opportunity to learn his remarkable story.”
Located in the heart of the University Park Campus, the historic building has been home to programs in anthropology, art history, international relations, political science, globalization and applied social sciences. Its tower bears one of USC’s most visible landmarks, the stylized globe.
An exceptional scholar and heroic military service member
Born in October 1913 on the Crow Reservation in Montana, Medicine Crow grew up under the tutelage of his grandparents as part of the Whistling Water clan.
In 1938, Medicine Crow came to USC Dornsife on scholarship and earned his master’s in anthropology in 1939.
By the early 1940s, Medicine Crow had completed his coursework toward a doctorate at USC when he was called to serve in World War II. While serving in the U.S. Army’s 103rd Infantry Division, he completed four feats necessary to be named the last Apsáalooke (Crow) war chief: touching an enemy soldier, disarming an enemy soldier, leading a successful war party and capturing an enemy’s horse.
When Barack Obama became president of the United States, Medicine Crow told him, “When you move into the White House, I’m going to come there and sing an honor song.”
In August 2009, he did just that after Obama honored Medicine Crow with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
After World War II, Medicine Crow became tribal historian for the Apsáalooke (Crow) Tribal Council and documented his people’s traditions and daily life. He was widely recognized as the last person to have heard accounts of the Battle of Little Bighorn directly from participants in the 1876 conflict. A gifted storyteller, he was revered as one of the most important carriers of his people’s oral history.
Medicine Crow is a model for USC as it begins the important work of establishing corrective, redemptive and restorative relationships with local Indigenous communities, on and off campus.
The Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs was previously named for former USC President Rufus von KleinSmid. University leaders are planning a dedication ceremony to celebrate the building’s new name in spring 2022.