Not Everyone Thinks Robinson’s Comeback Means USC Will, Too

Bill Dwyre’s analysis of the firing of Larry Smith (Jan. 3) includes a sad truth. His observation that USC President Steven Sample knows all too well that alums are not going to give “bundles of money to their school based on the success of research in the physics lab” calls attention to the fact that, despite claims to the contrary, the university is still primarily a school for jocks, not geniuses.

The Ivy League schools de-emphasized intercollegiate sports decades ago, but Harvard enjoys the largest endowment in the nation, and Yale and Princeton are not far behind. Even Stanford, with its successful teams, still receives most of its money from alumni who are proud of their alma mater’s academic reputation.

Unfortunately, USC’s supporters prefer winners of the Heisman Trophy to winners of the Nobel Prize.

JENNIFER HUDSON

Bakersfield