USC Families Discover Visual History Archive at Trojan Family Weekend

As parents and families of USC students descended on campus on Thursday for the first day of Trojan Family Weekend, many were already making sure to stop by Doheny Memorial Library to learn about USC Shoah Foundation and explore the Visual History Archive.

Each year, USC Shoah Foundation hosts an exhibit during Trojan Family Weekend – an annual event in which families of students visit USC, participate in lectures and activities, and attend a football game.

USC Shoah Foundation’s exhibit is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday in Doheny Memorial Library’s Herklotz Room, G24. There, visitors can watch an informational video about the Institute, learn more about its programs and research, and view testimony in the Visual History Archive at computer stations. Staff is on hand to answer questions and help visitors search the archive.

Within hours of opening the exhibit on Thursday morning, many parents and students had already visited and watched testimony. Some found their own family members in the Visual History Archive. Others said they were moved by the powerful testimonies they came across.

The full Visual History Archive, with 51,444 searchable testimonies, is accessible at 51 universities and museums around the world. Currently anyone may watch 1,228 testimonies in the Visual History Archive Online. IWitness, USC Shoah Foundation’s interactive educational website for teachers and students, contains 1,443 testimonies.