Forrest Shumway

Shumway joined the Marines after high school and went on to get his bachelor's in political science and a law degree, both from Stanford University. He worked in the legal department at the Los Angeles County counsel's office for several years until his uncle hired him at Signal, named for Signal Hill in the harbor area. By 37, seven years after he started in Signal's legal department, Shumway had risen to the rank of president. Elected to USC's board of trustees in 1968, he served as its chairman between 1990 and 1995, during which time he headed the selection committee that picked Steven B. Sample, the former USC president revered for boosting the school's reputation. Malcolm Currie, who succeeded him as board chairman, lauded Shumway for his "firm fiscal leadership" and relaxed sense of humor that helped alleviate often tense board meetings. Besides his son Garrett, Shumway is survived by his wife, Patsy; daughter, Brooks; two grandchildren and his brother Doug.