The UCLA Order of the Blue Shield, established in 1935, is UCLA’s first and oldest alumni "support" group dedicated to the university. Our group advocates for and champions causes in support of UCLA. We are an alumni organization of ~100 members who all have a strong record of UCLA service and are life members of the UCLA Alumni Association. Membership is by invitation and approval of the board. We hold quarterly dinner meetings on campus, usually at the Faculty Center or the Alumni Center. Our speakers rotate among UCLA sports coaches/celebs, administration and academic leaders. In the past few years, we also held special dinners: a dinner at the Chancellor's Residence, a movie screening by Rob Reiner of his "LBJ", and tours of the UCLA Young Research Library, the new Pauley Pavilion, the new Wasserman Football Center, and the new Mo Ostin Basketball Center. Blue Shield also supports the UCLA Library System with a quasi-endowed fund, the Darryl Johnson Memorial UCLA Library Fund, that now totals over $275,000 and which is funded by member donations. An additional donation is made in honor of each dinner speaker, and we also note "in memory of Rafer Johnson."

MEETINGS

LASTFall Meeting: Sept 16, 2026 WHERE: UCLA University Club (Faculty Center) SPEAKER: ​UCLA Prof. Benjamin Radd ​ Dr. Benjamin Radd is a Political Scientist and Senior Fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations at the UCLA International Institute. He is also a Lecturer in Law at UCLA Law School. He is an expert on US foreign policy and law and government of the Middle East, with an emphasis on Iran.

PAST2nd Spring Meeting: May 12, 2026 WHERE: UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame SPEAKER: ​Football HC Bob Chesney

Spring Meeting: April 9, 2026 WHERE: UCLA University Club (Faculty Center) SPEAKER: ​Dr. Leonard Kleinrock UCLA Distinguished Emeritus Prof. of Computer Science

Winter Meeting: January 27, 2026 WHERE: UCLA University Club (Faculty Center) SPEAKER: ​Matthew Malkan UCLA Prof. of Astronomy

Fall Meeting: Sept 2025 WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​Darnell Hunt with Julie Sina UCLA Executive VC and Provost, Interim Chief of Staff

Spring Meeting: May 29, 2025WHERE: Charles Young Research Library SPEAKER: ​Librarian UCLA University Librarian

Winter Meeting: March 17, 2025WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​Jennifer Poulakidas UCLA AVC for Governmental & Community Relations (since 2019)

Fall Meeting: Sep 16, 2024WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​​Prof. Richard Hasen UCLA Law Professor, expert in Election Law

Spring Meeting: May 13, 2024WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​​DeShaun Foster UCLA Football head coach

Spring Meeting: Mar 28, 2024WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: ​​​​Ann Wang UCLA Alumni Association president

Winter Meeting: Jan 23, 2024WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: ​​​Dr. Troy Carter UCLA Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director Plasma Science and Technology Institute. https://www.physics.ucla.edu/~tcarter/

Fall Meeting: Sep 18, 2023WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​​Drs. Asad & Jamal Madni UCLA Distinguished Adjunct Professor of EE & UCLA EE son

Spring Meeting: May 9, 2023WHERE: UCLA Mo Ostin Center (tour)James West Alumni Center (dinner) SPEAKER: ​​​​Taylor Swearingen UCLA Assoc. AD, Development

Pictures of tour of Mo Ostin Center

Winter Meeting: Feb 28, 2023WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club SPEAKER: ​​​​Coach Margueritte Aozasa Head Coach UCLA Women's Soccer2022 NCAA Champions

Fall Meeting: Oct 12, 2022WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​​​Dr Jerry Nickelsburg Professor UCLA Economics Director UCLA Economic Forecast

Spring Meeting: Apr 12, 2022WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Daniel Treisman Professor UCLA Political Science

Winter Meeting: Feb 15, 2022WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Pouria Abassi CEO UCLA Associated Students

Fall Meeting: Sep 29, 2021WHERE: James West Alumni Center SPEAKER: ​​​​Justin E. Barton President and Chief Investment Officer of the UCLA Investment Company.

Spring Meeting: Mar 3, 2021WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Dr. Michael Drake, MD UC President

Winter Meeting: Jan 13, 2021WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Dr. Andrea Ghez, UCLA 2020 Nobel in Astrophysics (Black Holes)

Fall Meeting 2: Oct 12, 2020WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Martin Jarmond, UCLA Athletic Director

Fall Meeting 1: Oct 8, 2020WHERE: Zoom online SPEAKER: Zev Yaroslavsky Program Director at UCLA Luskin School of Public Policy (pictured on Ch. 9 News) ​Fmr Los Angeles County Supervisor

Fall Meeting 1: Jan 28, 2020WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (California Room) SPEAKER: Valorie Kondos Field, UCLA Gymnastics Coach Book signing

Fall Meeting 1: Aug 26, 2019WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (California Room) SPEAKER: Mick Cronin, UCLA Head Basketball Coach

ESPN article on Coach Cronin

SPRING Meeting 1: May 29, 2019WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Hacienda Room) SPEAKER: Adam Winkler, UCLA Professor of Constitutional Law​https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Winkler

WINTER Meeting 1: Mar 21, 2019WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: David Ryu, LA City Council (OBS mbr.)David Ryu (UCLA '99) was elected to the City Council in 2014.

FALL Meeting 1: Sep 6, 2018WHERE: UCLA Wasserman Center SPEAKER: Josh Rebholz, Sr Assoc. ADFORMAT: Tour & DinnerUCLA Senior Associate Athletic Director Josh Rebholz hosted us for an exclusive tour of the Wasserman Football Center.

SPRING Meeting 1: Apr 17, 2018WHERE: UCLA YRL Library SPEAKER: Jinny Steele, LibrarianFORMAT: Viewing of Rare CollectionsMEMORIAL: Darryl Johnson

FALL SPECIAL MEETING: Nov 20, 2017 WHERE: UCLA James Bridges Theater (Melnitz) SPEAKER: Rob Reiner (UCLA alumnus) FORMAT: Screening "LBJ" with Q&A ​Rob said he based his movie on the LBJ commissioned biography by Doris Kearns Goodwin (which is why it favored LBJ). The movie focuses on LBJ's struggle to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as a tribute to JFK's vision.

FALL DINNER MEETING: Sep 26, 2017 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Monica Lozano Ms. Lozano was appointed to the UC Board back in March 2001 to a term expiring March 1, 2013 (by Davis); re-appointed in 2014 (by Brown) to a term expiring March 1, 2022. She is also Chair of the Board of US Hispanic Media, Inc. Ms. Lozano described her role as Chair of Regents and her interaction with UC President Napolitano.

SPRING DINNER MEETING: Apr 12, 2017 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Monroe Gordon, Interim Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs and Danny Siegel, USAC President, along with Vice Chancellor Rhea Turtletaub. They gave insights on the many campus climate issues that alumni and friends often hear about and discuss with added "on the ground" perspective.

WINTER DINNER MEETING: Feb 28, 2017 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Prof. Steve Aron, Robert N. Burr Chair, Department of History

FALL DINNER MEETING: Dec 6, 2016 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Main Dining Room) SPEAKER: Christine Simmons, president of UCLA Alumni Assn

GUEST SPEAKER: Bob Myers, member of UCLA's last NCAA champion basketball team ('95) and current General Manager of the Golden State Warriors.

FALL DINNER MEETING: Sep 28, 2016 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Victoria Steele, head of the Research Library Department of Special Collections, and UCLA Librarian of the Year

SPRING DINNER MEETING: May 16, 2016 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Ian McLean, UCLA Prof of Astronomy

WINTER DINNER MEETING: Jan 26, 2016 WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Dan Guerrero, UCLA Athletic Director

FALL DINNER MEETING: Oct. 13, 2015WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Prof. Robert Watson, Distinguished Professor of English, Assoc. Dean of Humanities Prof. Watson holds the additional post of Neikirk Chair for Innovative Undergraduate Education

SPRING DINNER MEETING: March 17, 2015WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club (Sequoia Room) SPEAKER: Shari & Garen Staglin -- Wine Tasting Shari and Garen Staglin will be our speakers. We will have a tasting of small pours of three Staglin cabernet reserve wines with dinner, along with a brief wine presentation. Following dinner, there will be a presentation about their winery, the current UCLA Campaign and the Depression Grand Challenge.

WINTER DINNER MEETING: Jan 20, 2015WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club SPEAKER: Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management About 50 members attended our dinner. Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, AVC for Enrollment Management, spoke about the vast complexities in involved reviewing 113,000+ applications for admission (freshman + transfers) this past year -- by far the largest applicant pool in the nation (UCB #2) -- using a staff of 55 plus outside reviewers. Issues of tuition increases, diversity and non-resident admissions are contentious.

FALL DINNER MEETING: Sept. 16, 2014WHERE: UCLA Faculty Club SPEAKER: Chris Roberts, UCLA HOF sports radio announcer Our Blue Shield dinner featured as speaker our Bruin radio sports announcer of 22 years, Chris Roberts. Chris will retire after this, his 23rd, year. Chris talked about how he replaced Fred Hessler (remember him?) and was hired by AD Peter Dalis. Chris allowed that it was the travel that made him retire, but he still wants to broadcast. Chris regaled us with his account of "4.8 seconds of Tyus" in 1995 title run. Chris said we can count on seeing him in Pauley at games in the future. Let's all wish Chris Roberts the best Bruin sendoff.

Slideshow of past meetings

• Slideshow of past meetings