Couple are awarded together

USC alumni James and Janet Eddy are happiest when they are doing something that helps others, they said. They share a strong passion for getting people to work together and getting a task done.

The couple, Glendale residents since 1974, received the Alumni Service Award from their alma mater at the 76th annual USC Alumni Awards on May 2 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

After receiving her bachelor’s in education in 1954 from USC, Janet Eddy raised four children before founding and becoming president of Trojan Guild, a service group to keep women in touch with the university and to keep women aware of intellectual and scientific information. It also raises money for scholarships.

In 1976 she went to work at the National Charity League/USC School of Education, a lab school for remedial reading, while she pursued her master’s degree, which she received in 1978 from USC. She went on to receive her doctorate in education in 1991.

After he graduated from USC in 1952, James Eddy spent about 35 years working at California Federal Savings, rising to the position of regional vice president for 28 offices before retiring in 1989. He was also a member of USC Alumni Board of Governors and was on the advisory board for USC’s sailing team.

Sabina Ohanessian: What are more examples of the service you have done for USC?

Janet Eddy: I realized that I had a strong passion for teaching and counseling students with disabilities, and that this was my forte. I enjoyed helping people with disabilities become the master of information that is being presented to them. So I decided to join the university’s Division of Student Affairs and helped establish the learning center, which is still there, and became the director of the center. After receiving my doctorate, I became the director of disability services and programs until I retired in 2001. I’m now the president-elect of the Half Century Trojans, USC’s senior alumni group. I also volunteer at USC Norris Cancer Hospital and try to help around there.

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Q: What are some of the things that you have done for USC?

James Eddy: I became the president for Half Century Trojans from 2005-07, and now my wife is going to be the president, which is very special. For many years, I was also the president of David X. Marks Foundation, which gives money for scholarships to the university. I was also the founder of USC Oceanographic Associates. Also, I co-chaired the Class of 1952’s 50-year reunion committee and have been a member for 55 years of the Trojan Club.

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Q: How did you feel when you found out you were going to be recipients of this year’s Alumni Service Award?

Janet Eddy: We found out about the award a few months before, and there was a big play-up on it. It was special because it’s the first time that a couple received an Alumni Service Award together. We were both so surprised and felt extremely honored. There’s so many people who have done a lot for the school, and we’re not donors, we’ve just worked hard and given our time to the school. I’ve heard a lot of people say that you feel humble when you get an award, and you really do. You just think, why me? Why do I deserve this? On the night of the awards we received a statue of the school’s mascot, a Trojan, in front of 650 people, and it was just such a special night.

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Q: You’ve both spent so much time at USC. Did you meet there?

Janet Eddy: It’s funny because we did meet at USC, but the way we met was really odd. We were both on blind dates with different people. However, we had a connection and we ended up going on a date to one of USC’s games soon after. I was a freshmen and he was a sophomore, and we’ve been together ever since.

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Q: What are some things you guys do for fun?

Janet Eddy: Well, my husband is very involved in the sailing community, and we both enjoy sailing a lot. Every summer we go on our boat, and our four children each take turns coming with us with their families, so we always have a family on board with us. We usually sail to Catalina and go hiking up there. We also enjoy ballroom dancing. We don’t dance as much as we used to. We are also both very involved with La Cañada Presbyterian Church.

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Q: What inspires you both to give so much of your time to help others?

Janet Eddy: We both feel the happiest when we are helping others in one way or another. I’d rather be helping others than doing anything else. We also love the Lord, so we try to love as He would want us to love. That is a real key to what we do. My father once told me that there’s one thing in life that’s important, and that is to leave the world a better place than you found it, and that is what we’ve tried to do.