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As President's State of the Union Extols American Dream, New Survey from Woodbury University Places Obama Second to Oprah as Embodiment of American Dream
[January 28, 2014]

As President's State of the Union Extols American Dream, New Survey from Woodbury University Places Obama Second to Oprah as Embodiment of American Dream


LOS ANGELES --(Business Wire)--

As President Obama calls for restoration of the American dream for the middle class in tonight's State of the Union address, a new survey by Woodbury University (www.woodbury.edu) looks at the American dream from a somewhat more personal perspective: who best embodies it?

As part of a forthcoming study on the American dream, Woodbury asked more than 300 Americans, "Who best epitomizes achievement of the American Dream?"

Topping the list was Oprah Winfrey, named by 37 percent of respondents, followed by the President, at 32 percent. Financier Donald Trump finished third, at 16 percent; 9 percent named Tesla's Elon Musk, while 4.5 percent cited NBA star LeBron James and 3 percent selected singer Beyonce Knowles.

"As the nation responds to th President's proposals to restore the American dream to the middle class, it's instructive to consider who in public life we associate most closely with attainment of the American dream," said Woodbury President Luis Maria R. Calingo, Ph.D.



"Whatever one's vision of the American dream, these role models continue to loom large in the collective imagination, as they give life to our aspirations and our hopes."

The survey of 300 adults, fielded in late December among Woodbury students, alumni, staff and a cross-section of the general population, has a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.


About Woodbury University

Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies, along with an MBA program, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Organizational Leadership. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development for Architects (MRED), and Master of Science in Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism degrees. Visit www.woodbury.edu for more information, and Reflections on Excellence, a twice-monthly blog written by Woodbury University President Luis Maria R. Calingo, Ph.D.


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