Trustees elect philanthropist, actor to board
Third-generation Trojan Michele Dedeaux Engemann, the namesake of USC’s new health center, has been elected to the USC Board of Trustees, the university announced Thursday.
Trustee · Michele Dedeaux Engemann was elected Oct. 3. – Photo courtesy of USC News
Engemann received a bachelor’s degree in drama from USC in 1968. After graduating, she worked with Nine O’Clock Players Theatre for Children. The non-profit organization supports theater for children with disabilities or from disadvantaged families.
“Michele Engemann is a Trojan through and through,” President C. L. Max Nikias said in a statement. “She is also a visionary philanthropist who is committed to enriching all aspects of our students’ academic experience, from their physical well-being to their intellectual and cultural development. I know we will benefit greatly from her passion, creativity, insights and expertise.”
Engemann has held several university appointments in recent years. From 2007 to 2008, she served as the president of the USC Alumni Association Board of Governors. As part of her position, Engemann served on the Board of Trustees.
In 2011, Engemann and her husband, Roger, donated $15 million for the creation of a new health center. Construction is scheduled for completion next spring.
“I have friends who have grandchildren that go here,” Engemann said at the building’s groundbreaking ceremony in April 2011. “We are now into our third generation of students using that same facility. Roger and I have a keen understanding that this [new] building is needed and needed now, especially as USC becomes a more residential university and expects the health needs of students, grad students and faculty living and working in our campus community.”
The Engemanns have also helped support USC through a $500,000 donation to the School of Dramatic Arts and $500,000 for a Baseball Hall of Fame at Dedeaux Field.
Engemann is the daughter of former USC baseball coach Rod Dedeaux. She is also a lifetime member of Town & Gown of USC, Skull and Dagger, the Keck Hospital of USC Guild, the Trojan Guild of Los Angeles and the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.