John Hamilton (2015) - USC Athletics Hall of Fame

John Hamilton

Induction:
2015

John Hamilton was a driving force behind the development of the USC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994 and served as its chairman from its inception until 2015. Also that year, the 1964 USC graduate and Orange County native founded the Newport Sports Museum in Newport Beach, which housed 12,000 items of sports memorabilia until closing in 2014. Besides displaying rare sports artifacts from around the world, the Newport Sports Museum’s mission was to keep youngsters in school and off drugs by getting them involved in athletics. In 2003, Hamilton also co-founded and chaired the IMPACT Foundation at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach, which annually awards the Lott IMPACT Trophy to the nation’s top defensive college football player. Hamilton worked in the real estate development and construction field and served as president of the Hamilton Company, a residential and commercial real estate agency in Newport Beach. He was involved in numerous charitable and community organizations, and received USC’s Alumni Service Award. He died on Aug. 5, 2020, at age 78.