Mary Pickford Foundation Alumni Award

Created in 1995, in partnership with the Mary Pickford Foundation, this award pays tribute to the men and women of USC whose extraordinary achievements bring special distinction to the school and to the industry.

Actress Mary Pickford

Known as “America's Sweetheart,” Pickford's appeal was international and she was a silver screen legend, gracious, beautiful and charming. The actress appeared in over 200 silent films and was an astute businesswoman who demanded—and received—complete artistic control over her work, as well as a salary on par with those of the most popular male film actors of her time.

Pickford was also an important force in an industry-wide movement to give actors and directors greater control over the artistic content of their work. In 1919, after taking a turn at directing, Pickford formed United Artists Corporation with D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks Sr.




Pickford Award Recipients

1995: Robert Zemeckis '73
1996: David L. Wolper '49
1997: Walter Murch
1998: Alan Ladd Jr. '55
1999: Laura Ziskin '73
2000: Michelle Manning
2001: William Fraker '50
2002: Stacey Sher '85
2003: Conrad L. Hall
2004: Gary Rydstrom '81
2005: Jay Roach '86
2006: John Singleton '90
2007: Ray Harryhausen
2008: Brian Grazer '74
2009: Shonda Rhimes '94