Academy
Award
nominee
George
Lucas
has
announced
that
his
private
foundation
will
give
the
University
of
Southern
California,
$175
million
which
would
be
used
for
rebuilding
its
School
of
Cinematic
Arts.
It
is
being
viewed
as
the
largest
donation
in
US
history.
The
School
of
Cinematic
Arts
is
the
oldest
film
school
in
the
United
States.
The
American
film
director,
producer
and
screenwriter,
popular
for
his
epic
Star
Wars,
said
"I
discovered
my
passion
for
film
and
making
movies
when
I
was
a
student
at
USC
in
the
1960s,
and
my
experiences
there
shaped
the
rest
of
my
career.
"Lucas
was
nominated
for
four
Academy
Awards.
He
was
nominated
for
best
directing
and
writing
for
American
Grafitti
and
best
Directing
and
writing
for
Star
Wars.
In
1991,
he
received
the
Academy's
Irving
G,
Thalberg
Award.