Former Hughes CEO Is Elected USC Board of Trustees Chairman

Malcolm R. Currie of Agoura Hills, chairman emeritus of Hughes Electronics Corp., has been elected chairman of USC’s Board of Trustees.

Currie, a member of the board since 1989, replaces Forrest N. Shumway, whose term has expired, said James Lytle, a spokesman for the university.

“Mal Currie has many qualities that make him an excellent choice,” USC President Steven B. Sample said. He cited Currie’s tenure as chief executive officer of Hughes Aircraft and his membership in the National Academy of Engineering.

“He is a widely respected leader in California and throughout the country,” Sample said. “Above all, he loves USC and as a trustee for six years, he has come to know the university well.”

Currie, who has a doctorate in engineering physics from UC Berkeley, went to work for Hughes Research Laboratories in 1954 as a scientist, Lytle said. He eventually became vice president and manager of the firm’s engineering division.

From 1969 to 1972, Currie was vice president of research and development and vice president of corporate planning at Beckmann Instruments. From 1973 to 1977, he served as undersecretary of research and engineering in the U. S. Department of Defense.