Jerry Lawson, an engineer and early video game pioneer, led the team that developed the Fairchild Channel F, a groundbreaking game console that was the first to use swappable ROM cartridges. The console was ultimately eclipsed by the huge success of the Atari VCS, released a year later, and Lawson never achieved the fame of other major industry innovators. His name, however, would adorn a new endowment for black and indigenous students established by the USC Gaming Program at the University of Southern California, with initial support from publisher Take-Two Interactive. [Straus Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two, said, "Take-Two is honored to be the first industry partner in the Gerald A. Lawson Fund at USC Games. We are confident that establishing this endowment and helping students from Black and Indigenous communities pursue their passions and creative futures in USC's renowned programs will fulfill our shared vision of increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our industry."

Lawson, who died in 2011, was one of the few black engineers involved in the very early days of the video game industry; he left Fairchild in 1980 to start a development studio called Video Software and later moved into consulting. He was also a member of the Homebrew Computer Club, an early hobbyist group that included Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, and Adam Osborn. [Danny Bilson, director of USC Games and chair of Cinematic Arts' Interactive Media & Games Department, and I began working on this funding framework during the summer 2020 racial justice march. We felt strongly that we should honor Mr. Lawson because he will be supporting generations of black and indigenous gaming students."

The fund in Lawson's name will support black and indigenous students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in game design and computer science, and USC Games hopes to expand this effort to support "other aspects of diversity and equity" in the industry. Huntley told USA Today, "The reason it's not called the Take Two Lawson Fund is because we want more industry partners to join us and work with us to build something that goes beyond a year or two, that goes beyond generations." [It is sobering to know that my father's legacy will continue to inspire generations of students in the USC Games program. One of my father's greatest dreams was to inspire young people to be curious about science and technology." This donation supports his vision."

More information about the Gerald A. Lawson Fund for Black and Indigenous Students will be shared at the USC Games Expo 2021 digital event beginning May 15 at 12 p.m. PT/3 p.m. ET.