{"id":26324,"date":"2026-01-08T15:31:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T23:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=26324"},"modified":"2026-01-13T16:20:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T00:20:00","slug":"in-memoriam-william-mcclure-scientist-developed-uscs-neurosciences-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/in-memoriam-william-mcclure-scientist-developed-uscs-neurosciences-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam: William McClure, scientist who developed USC\u2019s neurosciences programs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/McClure-dornsife-v1-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/McClure-dornsife-v1-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/McClure-dornsife-v1-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/McClure-dornsife-v1-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Photo of Bill McClure\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  McClure launched the university&#8217;s first neuroscience graduate program and oversaw construction of the Hedco Neurosciences Building. (Photo: Wendy Malecki.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>In Memoriam: William McClure, scientist who developed USC\u2019s neurosciences programs<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  A popular teacher, McClure mentored many students across his long career.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">January 8, 2026<\/span>\n      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style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a young age, William \u201cBill\u201d McClure was fascinated with how things worked. He tinkered first with bicycles, then with cars, rebuilding a Ford from the axles up with his father.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When McClure was a high school senior, a recruiter from the California Institute of Technology visited him, and received a tour of McClure\u2019s large traditional radio and ham radio collection. He didn\u2019t use them to talk to anyone, McClure explained, he just liked understanding their mechanics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">His love of digging into the inner workings of things was the start of a long scientific career. McClure\u2019s main research focus was the causation of schizophrenia, with the aim of developing better drugs to treat the disease. He also played a key role in the development of neuroscience programs and research at USC.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McClure, Professor Emeritus of<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bisc\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biological Sciences<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, died July 24. He was 87.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Early to the field<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McClure was born in Yakima, Wash., to Rexford McClure, a physician, and Ruth McClure, a nurse. In high school, he was a standout track and field athlete who set records that lasted nearly 30 years. McClure received a bachelor\u2019s degree in chemistry and biology from Caltech in 1959 and a PhD in biochemistry from the University of Washington in 1964.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was a post-doctoral fellow and assistant professor at The Rockefeller University in New York City from 1964 until 1968, when he moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as an assistant professor in the biochemistry department.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26326\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26326\" style=\"width: 439px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26326\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-b-500x334.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of McClure assisting two female students.\" width=\"439\" height=\"293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-b-500x334.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-b.jpg 754w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26326\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">McClure\u2019s mentorship led many of his students to pursue careers in science and medicine. (Photo: Michael Khandelwal)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1968, McClure participated in the first months-long research program hosted by the Neuroscience Research Program at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences offices in Boston, Mass. Founded by Francis Schmitt of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1962, the program played a key role in establishing neuroscience as an academic discipline through its retreats and workshops.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The program also sparked McClure\u2019s interest in the emerging field, although his department at the time wasn\u2019t so keen on him pursuing the subject. When he was invited to launch a neuroscience institute at USC Dornsife in 1975, he jumped at the chance. McClure joined the faculty as a full professor in 1975 and stayed with the College until his retirement in 2013.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With then Dean of Natural Sciences Bill Wagner, McClure developed the Neural, Informational, and Behavioral Sciences program, which recruited leading scientists to USC to conduct research and teach. McClure also oversaw construction of the Hedco Neurosciences Building, which opened in 1989. His vision and administrative acumen were also instrumental to the subsequent creation of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ngp.usc.edu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neuroscience Graduate program<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McClue held several patents and consulted and served as the vice president of scientific affairs for the Nelson Research and Development Company from 1972 to 1992. He was a member of several prestigious associations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2003, he received USC\u2019s Peer Achievement Award and the Presidential Medallion, the university\u2019s highest honor.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBill\u2019s intellectual leadership, collegial spirit and unwavering commitment to students and faculty alike have left a lasting legacy. His contributions to the advancement of USC\u2019s neuroscience education will be remembered with deep respect,\u201d says<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/scientist-helps-very-ill-infants\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chien-Ping Ko<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences, who co-taught a general education class with McClure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>A mentor and friend to many<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout his career McClure was a popular teacher and dedicated mentor to students. Many stayed in touch for years after graduation. \u201cThere are several students I now call \u2018brother\u2019 and \u2018sister\u2019 because they were mentored by my dad and remained close with him for decades,\u201d says his daughter Heather McClure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_26327\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-26327\" style=\"width: 442px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-26327\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-a-500x334.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of a group of people manning a sailboat.\" width=\"442\" height=\"295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-a-500x334.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/instory-image-a.jpg 754w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-26327\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In retirement, McClure took up sailing and crewed a number of races to Hawaii.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an undergraduate, Michael Khandelwal took a general education class with McClure. The two hit it off so well that Khandelwal worked as a teacher\u2019s assistant for McClure for seven years. When he moved back to Virginia, he missed teaching so much he started<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/the-muse.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Muse Writers Center<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Norfolk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThinking back on it, if I had not met Bill, most of what I consider to be me or my life would not be the same,\u201d says Khandelwal, who completed an<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/undergrad-programs\/idm\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interdisciplinary studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> degree in 1991 and a master\u2019s in professional writing in 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beth Zelonis Shou, who completed her bachelor\u2019s in biomedical engineering at the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/viterbischool.usc.edu\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">USC Viterbi School of Engineering<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, first encountered McClure as her instructor in an introduction to biology class.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI was so taken by the passion he had for teaching and science that I was determined to work in his lab. I spent four years working alongside Bill to discover a causation for schizophrenia \u2014 all while eating handfuls of M&amp;Ms,\u201d says Zelonis Shou. McClure\u2019s mentorship inspired her to eventually become an emergency medicine physician. She is one of dozens of USC students who went on to become physicians and scientists thanks to McClure\u2019s guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt the end of his career, he would often say to me that his mentorship and teaching of students were his greatest accomplishments,\u201d says Heather.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After retirement, McClure was program director and instructor with<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thrivescholars.org\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thrive Scholars<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which provides educational resources to high-achieving students from low-income schools. He also took up sailing and sailboat racing. He joined the Los Angeles Yacht Club, crewing three races from L.A. to Hawaii. He also co-founded the Offshore Racing Foundation to support sailors underrepresented in offshore sailing.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">McClure is survived by his daughter, granddaughter, sisters, nieces and nephews, and his former wife Pamela McClure-Johnston. He was predeceased by his son Rexford McClure, and his second wife Sara Joan Rorke, who died in 2006.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/can-we-prevent-ai-from-acting-like-a-sociopath\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Can we prevent AI from acting like a sociopath?<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  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career.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":26325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[88,106,125],"class_list":["post-26324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-biological-sciences","tag-neuroscience","tag-obituary"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>In Memoriam: William McClure, scientist who developed USC\u2019s neurosciences programs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"McClure launched USC\u2019s first neuroscience graduate program and oversaw construction of the Hedco Neurosciences Building.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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