Lindley Bothwell and the USC Song Girls
Lindley Bothwell has justifiably been referred to as the Father of Spirit at USC. Lindley was the Trojans’ first Yell Leader (then called "Yell King") back in 1919, a position he held until his graduation in 1923. He also earned an M.A. from USC. Mr. Bothwell coached the Song Girl and Yell Leader squads for 60 years. Mr. Bothwell also founded the SAE fraternity chapter at USC in 1926. Lindley’s guiding principles were summed up in his now famous quote: “Have pride without arrogance and confidence without conceit.”
Lindley coached the Song Girls’ current coach, Lori Crawley Nelson (seen in the above 1977 picture on the left of Lindley), who has served as Coach since 1986. Lori is known affectionately to her squad for her passion for the program, keeping the tradition alive while infusing it always with new energy. Dr. Justine Gilman serves as the Advisor for USC Spirit groups, capably handling business and financial matters for the Song Girls, the Yell Leaders, Traveler and the mascot, Tommy Trojan.
USC has a unique and distinct tradition of athletic excellence. The unbroken tradition of Spirit Excellence has been loyally and gracefully embodied by the USC Song Girls since the 1960s.
