Patrick Leder-Morrow

Through his work, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance found its footing and its future.

Patrick Leder-Morrow, Assistant Dean and Chief Development Officer at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, has died. He was 57.

Leder-Morrow joined USC Kaufman in 2017 as Director of Advancement, having previously served on the development teams of several of Los Angeles’ most prominent cultural institutions, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Colburn School, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Among his many contributions to the school were cultivating the Board of Councilors, leading record fundraising success across all USC Kaufman programs and engagement initiatives, and conceiving and overseeing the school’s 10th-anniversary year celebration.

“Patrick was an exceptional leader and person who, in such significant ways, was instrumental in establishing USC Kaufman’s place as one of the preeminent undergraduate dance programs in the country,” says Julia M. Ritter, Dean of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. “More than that, he was kind, conscientious, and generous. Patrick held Glorya’s vision with great care; every connection he made with students, parents, board members, and donors was shaped by his deep understanding of her wishes for a legacy of supporting dancers. Simply put, USC Kaufman would not be where it is today without Patrick.”

From Law to Legacy

Leder-Morrow was born in Bellflower, California, in 1969 and was raised primarily in Escondido, located in North County San Diego. He attended Yale University, earning a bachelor’s degree in art history in 1992, and later earned a Juris Doctor from the University of San Francisco in 1998.

After considering a law career, he realized the arts were his true calling — and discovered a talent for fundraising along the way. He joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic as its major gifts and planned giving officer, and subsequent development roles followed as plans for a new dance school at USC began to take shape. At the heart of those plans was philanthropist and dance enthusiast Glorya Kaufman, whom Leder-Morrow would come to know well.

A School Finds Its Champion

Leder-Morrow arrived at USC Kaufman as the school was in its infancy and soon became a close confidant of its benefactor, Glorya. He was quickly appointed the school’s first Assistant Dean and Chief Development Officer, steering it through its first five years and championing Kaufman’s vision for an international dance program that educated future leaders in the field.

“Patrick was the rare person who could walk into a room of donors and walk out with champions for our students,” says Jackie Kopcsak, a USC Kaufman founding faculty member and assistant dean of programming and special projects. “What he built in such a short time is now at the heart of what we do every day, giving our dancers opportunities to work with some of the world’s most influential artists.”

Under his direction as chief fundraiser, USC Kaufman grew from an inaugural cohort of 33 undergraduate dance majors to 149 graduates, many of whom perform with nationally and internationally renowned companies and artists. He also worked closely with faculty member Tiffany Bong to establish Kaufman Connections, the school’s community engagement program introducing elementary age students to hip hop and street dance. Most recently, he was the architect of USC Kaufman’s 10th anniversary gala, which raised more than $1 million for school operations and future scholarships.

“When I came to him with the idea for Kaufman Connections, he asked how we could make it bigger—and then helped turn that vision into a lasting foundation,” says Bong. “That was Patrick. He never set limits. Because of him, hundreds of kids who’d never set foot in a dance school now have the fundamentals for something that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.”

Leder-Morrow is survived by his husband, Howard Leder-Morrow; his brother, Andrew Morrow, of Los Angeles; and his sister, Leslie Morrow, of Burbank. His impact on USC Kaufman and its graduates will endure through the funds he helped cultivate, including the new Patrick Leder-Morrow Award for Excellence in Dance and Community, established by the school in his honor.

“Aside from perhaps Glorya herself, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance could not have found a more ideal person to serve as its advocate,” say USC Kaufman Board of Councilors co-chairs Robert N. Braun and Jennifer Cheng in a joint statement. “The arts need more people like Patrick — committed, unwavering, and fully invested in the idea that the arts can change lives. He will be deeply missed.”

Contributions in memory of Patrick Leder-Morrow may be made to the Patrick Leder-Morrow Award for Excellence in Dance and Community, supporting a student who exemplifies artistic and academic excellence, commitment to community engagement, and a spirit of shared purpose.