Steven Sample (November 29, 1940 – March 29, 2016) was an American academic and university administrator, best known as the 10th president of the University of Southern California (USC). Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he earned degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He taught at Purdue University and the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he later served as president. From 1991 to 2010, he led USC through a major transformation, boosting its academic reputation and financial stability through innovative fundraising and strategic planning. He authored 'The Contrarian's Guide to Leadership,' sharing his unconventional leadership philosophy. Sample died of cancer at age 75.
