University of Southern California  About USC   USC’s motto,
PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT, can be loosely translated from the
Latin as “let whoever earns the palm bear it.” The expression
reflects the broad significance of palms, palm fronds and other
branches of foliage as symbols of triumph, victory, ascension
and regeneration in ancient times, and in particular may allude
to the Roman custom of giving the victorious gladiator a palm
branch as reward for prowess.  One of the earliest references to
the phrase is found in a small volume of Latin verse, titled
Lusus Poetici, which was first published by English theologian
John Jortin in 1722. Decades later, it became widely known as
the personal motto of Horatio Nelson, a British naval hero who
distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1798, after
a spectacular victory over Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile,
Nelson was granted the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile, and
the words PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT were added to his coat of
arms.  Over time, the sayi