The Joseph Medicine Crow Center for International and Public Affairs represents USC's ambitious expansion during the Cold War era, when universities nationwide prioritized global studies and diplomatic education. Edward Durell Stone designed this New Formalist structure between 1965 and 1966 to house the international and public affairs collections associated with former USC president Rufus B. von KleinSmid. The building emerged from an institutional moment when American universities saw themselves as training grounds for international leadership and cross-cultural understanding. Stone's commission reflected USC's desire to modernize its campus while maintaining visual continuity with its established collegiate character.
Stone crafted a red-brick and precast-concrete composition that deliberately echoes USC's older brick buildings while asserting its 1960s origins through bold geometric forms. The structure's most commanding feature is its globe-topped tower, which functions as both a campus landmark and a symbolic beacon for international studies. Tall arches punctuate the facade, creating dramatic shadows and visual rhythm, while a decorative classicizing order filters traditional architectural elements through Stone's signature formalist vocabulary. The building demonstrates Stone's ability to translate classical symmetry and ornamental systems into a distinctly modern institutional language that feels both timeless and of its era.