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EspañolGEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
:''See Washington University (disambiguation) for institutions with similar names.''
'The George Washington University' ('GW'), is a private, coeducational university located primarily in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as '' The Columbian College in the District of Columbia'' by Baptist ministers who were in part trying to fulfill the vision of George Washington for a institution of higher learning in the nation's capital. It has since developed into a nonsectarian research institution known especially for its social sciences, international affairs, medical and law programs.
Most of the university's undergraduate and graduate studies are conducted on its 43-acre, downtown Foggy Bottom campus, which is situated just a few blocks from the White House and the National Mall. Barring a few outlying buildings, the boundaries of campus are delineated by Pennsylvania Avenue, 19th Street, E Street, and Virginia Avenue. However, the University owns much of the property in Foggy Bottom, and leases it to various tenants, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. GW is said to be the second-largest land-owner in the District of Columbia, following the federal government.
Since the GW campus is integrated with the city, it has less of a traditional campus than those of other major universities. However, the university has a significant presence in the area. Signs indicating the relative location of various university buildings can be found on almost every street corner. The student union (known as the Marvin Center), several residence halls, the Media and Public Affairs building, and other major academic buildings are located within a three-block radius of the University Yard (the original quadrangle on campus).
The nearby area surrounding GW's main library, Gelman Library, forms the busy heart of the campus. The seven-story library building, which contains over two-million volumes, is constructed in the popular Brutalist architectural style of the 1970's. It features a concrete façade punctuated by windows that are divided by projecting vertical slabs. For most of the year, parts of the library are open 24-hours, 7 days per week for use by students, faculty and staff. The library's upper level is home to the National Security Archive, a highly-respected research institution that publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics of American foreign policy. For example, in June of 2007, the organization made the Central Intelligence Agency's so-called "family jewels," which detail twenty five years of misdeeds, available to the public [2].
Adjacent to the library is Lisner Auditorium and a large open area known as Kogan Plaza. The Foggy Bottom Metro Station Station is located at the intersection of 23rd and I Streets, due south of Washington Circle. The University hospital, where many politicians in the city often seek medical treatment[3], is located next to the Metro station entrance. Sometime in late 2007, construction on a large commercial development (known currently as "Square 54") is expected to begin on the currently-vacant lot previously occupied by the old GW Hospital. It is the second-largest undeveloped lot in the District of Columbia. [4] [5]
In 1999, the university acquired the 23-acre Mount Vernon College for Women campus and renamed it The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College. Nicknamed "The Vern," the campus is served by a twenty-four hour shuttle service known as the Vern Express. Despite the fact that its dorms are now fully co-educational, the campus' legacy as a former women's college has been retained with the Elizabeth Somers Women's Leadership Program, a unique residential-academic program for first-year female undergraduate students.
The George Washington University also operates a postgraduate-geared campus in Ashburn, Virginia. Several other satellite education centers are maintained by the university, including the Alexandria Graduate Education Center in Alexandria, the Graduate Education Center in Arlington, and the Hampton Roads Center in Newport News.
George Washington had long argued for the creation of a university in the District of Columbia. In his will, he bequeathed fifty shares of the Potomac Company to support such an institution. He wrote, "I give and bequeath in perpetuity the fifty shares which I hold in the Potomac Company (under the aforesaid Acts of the Legislature of Virginia) towards the endowment of a University to be established within the limits of the District of Columbia, under the auspices of the General Government, if that Government should incline to extend a fostering hand towards it."[2] The shares turned out to not be worth very much, but Washington's idea for a university continued.
Aware of Washington's wishes, a group of men led by Baptist missionary and minister Luther Rice raised funds to purchase a site for a college to educate citizens for work as missionaries and clergy. A large building was constructed on College Hill, which is now known as Meridian Hill, and on February 9 1821, President James Monroe approved the congressional charter creating ''The Columbian College''. President Monroe, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, the Marquis de Lafayette and other dignitaries attended the college's first commencement exercises in 1824.
The college's buildings were used as a hospital during the Civil War. At times, academic and administrative departments have occupied other buildings around Washington, including what is now the National Museum of Women in the Arts on New York Avenue in northwest Washington.
The name of the institution was changed to Columbian University in 1873 and, in an agreement with the George Washington Memorial Association, to The George Washington University in 1904. The university was among the first American institutions to grant a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 1888.
During the Vietnam War era, Thurston Hall, an undergraduate dormitory housing 875 students was (according to campus folklore) a staging ground for Student Anti-War Demonstrations (at 1900 F street, the building is just 3 blocks from The White House).
Since the 1970s, through the presidencies of Lloyd Hartman Elliott and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, GWU has become a major undergraduate and graduate institution. In December 2006, the university named Johns Hopkins University provost Steven Knapp its next president, to begin his term on August 1 2007.[3]
In 1996, the university purchased the Mount Vernon College for Women in the city's Foxhall neighborhood that became the school's co-educational Mount Vernon Campus. The campus was first utilized in 1997 for women only, but became co-eduational in a matter of years. The Mount Vernon campus is now totally integrated into the GW community, serving as a great compliment to the Foggy Bottom campus.
Students at GW participate in a wide variety of educational opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. 9,700 full-time undergraduates are studying in 87 majors with 1,500 in business, 500 in engineering, 2,000 in international affairs, 700 in communications and media, 800 in sciences and math, 2,900 in social sciences, and 1,300 in arts, languages, and humanities. Nearly 900 students participate in GW's Study Abroad Programs each semester in 50 countries.[6] Additionally, about 125 entering students each fall join the University Honors Program community of 500 students. These students routinely live in the Scholars' Village, which is a unique academic housing concept for upperclassmen. Each "villager" has competed for a space in this prestigious "themed-house" environment.
The George Washington University has a medical school and its own hospital.
In addition to offering courses on its Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses, GW faculty teach a large number of graduate courses in the suburbs of Washington (in Maryland and Virginia). The Graduate School of Political Management primarily holds their classes in the Hall of the States building at 444 North Capitol Street, located on north side of the U.S. Capitol Building and Senate offices.
The university is governed by a Board of Trustees[7]. The Board is responsible for selecting the President of the University, who is charged with managing the institution.
The university is organized into nine schools and colleges:
★ Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)
★
★ School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA)
★
★ Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (SPPPA)
★ College of Professional Studies
★
★ Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM)
★
★ Online Masters in Political Management (GSPM)
★ Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA)
★ The George Washington University Law School
★ The Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD)
★ School of Business (GWSB)
★ School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
★ George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS)
★ George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS)
The George Washington University is the most expensive undergraduate institution in the United States[8] [9]. Tuition is guaranteed to remain at the freshman rate for up to ten continuous (full time) semesters of attendance at the university. Tuition for the 2007-2008 year is $39,210 with a housing/board estimated cost of $11,900[10]. That tuition rate only applies to the incoming Class of 2011 and those who remain at the university after 10 full time semesters. The New York Times recently reported [11] that the tuition for the class of 2011 at $39,210 makes GW the first university to break the $50,000 mark for total tuition and fees.
10,761 undergraduate students attended the university as of the 2006-2007 school year[12]. 12,634 graduate students enrolled for the Fall 2005 academic semester. In 2001, there were 1,508 full-time and 2,725 part-time members of the faculty.
The George Washington University has been ranked by The Princeton Review as in Top 10 for the following categories:[4]
★ Most Politically Active
★ Dorms Like Palaces
★ Great College Towns
★ Best in the Northeast
★ College With a Conscience
The Student Association (SA) is the official undergraduate and graduate student government of The George Washington University. The SA is fashioned after the federal government with three cooperative and equal branches of government. The President and Executive Vice President, however, are separately and popularly elected. Senate representation is divided among the schools of the university. Student elections are generally held in February or March of the spring semester and have been administered electronically since 1999 in designated locations or via paper ballot. To be elected, candidates for President and Executive Vice President must receive at least 40% of the student vote or else require a run-off election.
Historically, SA presidents have fared well in the political arena. Former SA president Edward "Skip" Gnehm was the Ambassador to Kuwait during the Gulf War and received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and two Presidential Meritorious Service Awards. Former SA president John David Morris (1989-1990) currently serves as a city councilman in Peoria, Illinois, and Al Park (1994-1995) is a New Mexico state representative and possible candidate for New Mexico Attorney General. Actor Alec Baldwin ran for SA President as a junior and narrowly lost. After his defeat, he transferred to New York University (NYU) to pursue his acting career. Jonathan D. Katz was SA president from 1980-81 and went on to found Queer Nation San Francisco and to become a professor of gay and lesbian studies as well as art.
The Student Association Executive Vice President chairs the Student Senate and assists the President in the performance of his duties.
The Student Association Senate is composed of 29 voting members, of which 15 are undergraduate students and 14 are graduate students. Seats are distributed proportionally based on each school's popular enrollment. There are also two undergraduate and two graduate at-large Senate seats.
The student government also includes a Student Court that adjudicates disputes between student groups and among the branches of the government.
There are over four hundred student organizations at the University, including organizations of common interest or political activism, ethnic organizations, and Greek organizations.
The George Washington University is home to several large and active political and international organizations.
The GW College Democrats hosts many Democratic events and speakers. In 2006-07, the College Democrats hosted Senators Boxer and Dorgan, Reps. Pallone, Frank, Israel, and Wexer, and James Carville. In addition, the chaper campaigned for Democratic House and Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. Howard Dean formally endorsed John Kerry for President on campus at a GW College Democrats sponsored event. In 2007, the GW College Democrats won second place in the College Democrats of America Chapter of the year award.
Started in Fall 2006, the GW Democrats, a collegiate chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America and the Young Democrats of America, focus on Democratic and Progressive activism.
Started in the Spring of 2006, War Child GWU is the first student chapter of War Child Canada in the United States. War Child is a non-profit organization aimed at helping children throughout the world caught up in the horrors of war.
The GW College Republicans was named the Best Chapter of 2005 by the College Republican National Committee.
Started during the 2006-2007 year, the GW College Libertarians are a voice for third parties and disillusioned Democrats and Republicans. They have been included in one debate with the GW Collge Democrats and GW College Republicans.
The International Affairs Society (IAS) participates in international affairs-related events such as the Model United Nations.
G.W.'s Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) is one of the most active chapters in the country. Last year, the club staged AIDS awareness and prevention events, as D.C. currently has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country (119 per 100,000).[13]
The GW Chapter of STAND, or GW STAND, was formed in 2003 shortly after the first group was organized at Georgetown University. It has sponsored rallies, information sessions, and promoted divestment, about genocide in general, but specifically about genocide in Darfur.
The Global Language Group, or Global Languages, is a non-profit organization that offers over 150 free classes in 50 languages.
There are four honor societies: Order of Omega, Phi Beta Kappa, Omnicron Delta Kappa, and Tau Beta Pi.
There are 14 recognized men's social fraternities on campus, including Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Theta Delta Chi. Sigma Chi was approved for recolonization in 2006, and expects to be rechartered in early Fall 2007. Kappa Alpha Order inducted its alpha class on March 2 2007, and expects to be rechartered in January 2008.
There are also two social fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sigma Alpha Mu (also called "SAMMY"), that are not recognized by the university. A group of male students also maintain Alpha Pi Epsilon (or "Apes"), a group that emerged from a collection of students who had lost recognition by Alpha Epsilon Pi and Zeta Beta Tau due to hazing charges in 2001.
There are nine Panhellenic sororities on campus, including Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Tau, and Sigma Kappa. Pi Beta Phi was approved for colonization by the Panhellenic Association in 2006, and installed as a chapter in January of 2007.
Three National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; have chapters at GW. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has a city-wide chapter in Washington, DC, with some members from GW.
The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) includes Iota Nu Delta fraternity, Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity, Pi Delta Psi fraternity, and Sigma Psi Zeta sorority.
There are also a number of professional and honorary fraternities active on campus. Delta Phi Epsilon, the nation's first and only professional foreign service society, was rechartered in 2005. Theta Tau, the nation's oldest and foremost engineering fraternity, is active on campus, as is the national honor fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, and the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. Additionally, there are two community service based Greek-letter organizations on campus: Alpha Phi Omega, a co-educational service fraternity, and Epsilon Sigma Alpha, which was founded in spring 2003 and is currently the only community service sorority on campus.
There are two student run news sources on campus, the twice-weekly newspaper The GW Hatchet, founded in 1904, and The Daily Colonial, an online daily founded in 2004.
There is also an online only student-run radio station, WRGW, that is in its 79th year.
In addition, there is a student run magazine on campus called GW Discourse, The Political Science Quarterly [14] (founded in December of 2006).
The Enosinian Society, founded in 1822, is one of George Washington University’s oldest and most storied student organizations. Invited speakers included prominent U.S., including Daniel Webster. The Society was reconstituted in 2005 and holds bi-weekly amicable, spirited debate on important issues of the day.[15]
Intramural sports are also very popular in addition to the NCAA Division I varsity teams.
GW is home to an active performing arts community. Music groups include Emocapella, the Sons of Pitch, the Sirens, The GW Vibes, the GW Troubadors, and the GW Pitches. Student theater organizations include Generic Theatre Company , 14th Grade Players, Forbidden Planet Productions (FPP), and receSs, GWU's only comedy troupe. Balance: The GW Ballet Group offers free student-taught ballet classes to members, produces and performs The Nutcracker and other shows and offers discounted tickets to ballets at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Capital Funk is GW's only competitive Hip Hop dance troupe. In May, 2007 they won first place at the 2007 East Coast Hip Hop Dance Competition hosted by Culture Shock DC [16]
As of Fall 2007, GW has two faculty-directed choral groups: University Singers and the smaller Chamber Singers. The latter was disbanded for a number of years but is being reinstated. University Singers tours each year, with international tours occurring every other year. In May and June of 2007, GW University Singers traveled to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, and performed in all three countries.
The Chess Club was reconstituted in September of 2005 and now competes with other universities' teams nationally. It is currently coached by Grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek, who is also an alumnus.
The school fight song, "Hail to the Buff & Blue" or "The G.W. Fight Song" is as follows:
:''Hail to the buff! (buff!)''
:''Hail to the blue! (blue!)''
:''Hail to the buff and blue!''
:''All our lives we'll be proud to say,''
:''We hail from G.W.! (go big blue!)''
:''Oh by George we're happy we can say,''
:''We're G.W. here to show the way!''
:''So raise high the buff! (buff!)''
:''Raise high the blue! (blue!)''
:''Loyal to G.W.!''
:''(You bet we're!)''
:''Loyal to G.W.! (fight!)''
This song plays on synthesized bells (without words) every weekday at noon and 6:00 p.m. from the center of campus.
The school's Alma Mater as sung today was rewritten from its original version in 1970:
:''Hail Alma Mater,''
:''To thy spirit guiding,''
:''Knowledge thy closest friend''
:''In its strength abiding,''
:''Pledge we fidelity''
:''Ne'er its place resigning,''
:''Hail thee George Washington.''
GW has an extensive Division I program that includes Men's Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Women's Softball, Squash, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Women's Volleyball, and Water Polo. Colonials athletics teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. While only a Division II program, the Men's and Women's Rugby Teams both compete in the Potomac Rugby Union and have had much recent success.[17]
The university's colors are buff and blue (buff being a color similar to tan, but often represented as gold or yellow). The colors were taken from George Washington's uniform in the Revolutionary War.
GW's football team won the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas in 1957. The school last competed in the sport in 1966 as a member of the Southern Conference.[18]
The teams have achieved great successes in recent years including a first round victory in the Men's NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament in 2004
Mike Jarvis coached GW in the 1990s, and led the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1993, where they were beaten by the Fab Five Michigan team. Jarvis also coached current Colonials Head Coach Karl Hobbs in high school. NBA flop Yinka Dare also played at George Washington for two years before being drafted in the first round by the New Jersey Nets.
GW's Basketball team returned to the National Stage in 2004 after defeating No. 9 Michigan State and No. 12 Maryland in back to back games to win the 2004 BB&T Classic. That year the Men's Basketball team went on to win the Atlantic 10 West Title and the Atlantic 10 Tournament Title (earning an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament). The #12 seeded Colonials tournament was short, ending with a first round loss to #5 Seed Georgia Tech.
The team began the 2005 season ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll and after some tournament success they closed out the year ranked 19th nationwide. They had a record of 26-2 (16-0 in the A-10) going into the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The 2005-2006 season had been the team's best ever, surpassing the start of the 1953-1954 season and receiving an #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, they came back from a 18 point second-half deficit to defeat #9 seed UNC-Wilmington, but lost to Duke University, the top overall seed in the Second Round.
While only one Colonial from the 2005-2006 team was drafted in the 2006 NBA Draft, Danilo Pinnock, there are currently three Colonials from that team in the NBA. Pops Mensah-Bonsu plays for the Dallas Mavericks and Mike Hall, who recently signed a contract with the Washington Wizards.
The 2006-2007 basketball season was considered by many to be a rebuilding year for the colonials after graduating their entire starting front court and losing junior leader Danilo Pinnock to the NBA. But coach Karl Hobbs and Senior guard Carl Elliott managed to lead the team to a 23-8 record, winning the 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament in Atlantic City, NJ (once again earning an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament). The Colonials were placed as a #11 seed losing against #6 seed Vanderbilt University in Sacramento, CA 77-44 [19].
Karl Hobbs, a former player and coach under Jim Calhoun at the University of Connecticut is in his sixth year as head coach. Hobbs is a fan favorite -- often receiving as much applause during his entrance to games as the athletes. Known for his outward shows of emotion during games that include stomping his foot and slamming his clipboard, Hobbs is considered one of the up-and-coming coaches in the NCAA.
The mascot for the Colonials is George, a student wearing a life-size George Washington costume with a large head. [5] The sports teams are called Colonials. There is also an inflatable Colonial mascot called "Big George" (as opposed to "Little George," the life-size mascot) and an inflatable hippo.[6] The Hippo was instituted by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, and there is a hippo statue at the corner of 21st and H Street NW on campus. Professor and former University Honors Program Chairman David Allen Grier is credited with fabricating the legend of the "River Horse" and the statue's purpose for being located on campus.
The official student supporters' group of the men's basketball team is called the Colonial Army. It is one of the largest student organizations on campus.
GW has a Navy ROTC program on campus.
★ List of George Washington University people
★ William Staughton (1821-1827)
★ Stephen Chapin (1828-1841)
★ Joel Smith Bacon (1843-1854)
★ Joseph Getchell Binney (1855-1858)
★ George Whitefield Samson (1859-1871)
★ James Clarke Welling (1871-1894)
★ Samuel Harrison Greene (1894-1895)
★ Benaiah L. Whitman (1895-1900)
★ Samuel Harrison Greene (1900-1902)
★ Charles Willis Needham (1902-1910)
★ Charles Herbert Stockton (1910-1918)
★ William Miller Collier (1918-1921)
★ Howard L. Hodgkins (1921-1923)
★ William Mather Lewis (1923-1927)
★ Cloyd Heck Marvin (1927-1959)
★ Oswald Symister Colclough (1959-1961)
★ Thomas Henry Carroll (1961-1964)
★ Lloyd Hartman Elliott (1965-1988)
★ Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (1988-2007)
★ Steven Knapp (2007 - Present)
1. "GW's endowment breaks one billion," GW Hatchet [1]
2. "Rediscovering George Washington" from the website of the Public Broadcasting Service; accessed February 23, 2007
3. ''The GW Hatchet'', December 4 2006; accessed February 23 2007
4. http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/generalinfo.asp?listing=1022790<ID=1
5. GW Spirit Programs, [20]
6. GW Spirit Programs http://spirit.gwu.edu/AboutUs/Mascots/
★ The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia
★ George Washington University Historical Photographs - online images of individuals, localities, objects, buildings, events, and groups associated with the history of the University.
★ The George Washington University web site
★ ''The GW Hatchet'' - A twice-weekly independent student newspaper
★ ''The Daily Colonial'' - A daily, online students news site
★ Official GW athletics site
★ The ''GW Patriot'' - A conservative monthly journal web site
★ GW News Center
★ WRGW - GW's All-Online Student-Run Radio Station
★ GW's Parent's Association
★ GW's Alumni Online Community
'The George Washington University' ('GW'), is a private, coeducational university located primarily in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as '' The Columbian College in the District of Columbia'' by Baptist ministers who were in part trying to fulfill the vision of George Washington for a institution of higher learning in the nation's capital. It has since developed into a nonsectarian research institution known especially for its social sciences, international affairs, medical and law programs.
Campuses
Foggy Bottom
The George Washington University's Foggy Bottom Campus is generally bound by 24th Street on the West, 19th Street on the East, Pennsylvania Avenue on the North, and F Street on the South.
Most of the university's undergraduate and graduate studies are conducted on its 43-acre, downtown Foggy Bottom campus, which is situated just a few blocks from the White House and the National Mall. Barring a few outlying buildings, the boundaries of campus are delineated by Pennsylvania Avenue, 19th Street, E Street, and Virginia Avenue. However, the University owns much of the property in Foggy Bottom, and leases it to various tenants, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. GW is said to be the second-largest land-owner in the District of Columbia, following the federal government.
Since the GW campus is integrated with the city, it has less of a traditional campus than those of other major universities. However, the university has a significant presence in the area. Signs indicating the relative location of various university buildings can be found on almost every street corner. The student union (known as the Marvin Center), several residence halls, the Media and Public Affairs building, and other major academic buildings are located within a three-block radius of the University Yard (the original quadrangle on campus).
The nearby area surrounding GW's main library, Gelman Library, forms the busy heart of the campus. The seven-story library building, which contains over two-million volumes, is constructed in the popular Brutalist architectural style of the 1970's. It features a concrete façade punctuated by windows that are divided by projecting vertical slabs. For most of the year, parts of the library are open 24-hours, 7 days per week for use by students, faculty and staff. The library's upper level is home to the National Security Archive, a highly-respected research institution that publishes declassified U.S. government files concerning selected topics of American foreign policy. For example, in June of 2007, the organization made the Central Intelligence Agency's so-called "family jewels," which detail twenty five years of misdeeds, available to the public [2].
A satellite View of the Mount Vernon Campus
Mount Vernon
In 1999, the university acquired the 23-acre Mount Vernon College for Women campus and renamed it The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College. Nicknamed "The Vern," the campus is served by a twenty-four hour shuttle service known as the Vern Express. Despite the fact that its dorms are now fully co-educational, the campus' legacy as a former women's college has been retained with the Elizabeth Somers Women's Leadership Program, a unique residential-academic program for first-year female undergraduate students.
Ashburn and Other Centers
The George Washington University also operates a postgraduate-geared campus in Ashburn, Virginia. Several other satellite education centers are maintained by the university, including the Alexandria Graduate Education Center in Alexandria, the Graduate Education Center in Arlington, and the Hampton Roads Center in Newport News.
History
George Washington had long argued for the creation of a university in the District of Columbia. In his will, he bequeathed fifty shares of the Potomac Company to support such an institution. He wrote, "I give and bequeath in perpetuity the fifty shares which I hold in the Potomac Company (under the aforesaid Acts of the Legislature of Virginia) towards the endowment of a University to be established within the limits of the District of Columbia, under the auspices of the General Government, if that Government should incline to extend a fostering hand towards it."[2] The shares turned out to not be worth very much, but Washington's idea for a university continued.
A bust of George Washington on The Foggy Bottom campus of the George Washington University
Aware of Washington's wishes, a group of men led by Baptist missionary and minister Luther Rice raised funds to purchase a site for a college to educate citizens for work as missionaries and clergy. A large building was constructed on College Hill, which is now known as Meridian Hill, and on February 9 1821, President James Monroe approved the congressional charter creating ''The Columbian College''. President Monroe, John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay, the Marquis de Lafayette and other dignitaries attended the college's first commencement exercises in 1824.
The college's buildings were used as a hospital during the Civil War. At times, academic and administrative departments have occupied other buildings around Washington, including what is now the National Museum of Women in the Arts on New York Avenue in northwest Washington.
The name of the institution was changed to Columbian University in 1873 and, in an agreement with the George Washington Memorial Association, to The George Washington University in 1904. The university was among the first American institutions to grant a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 1888.
During the Vietnam War era, Thurston Hall, an undergraduate dormitory housing 875 students was (according to campus folklore) a staging ground for Student Anti-War Demonstrations (at 1900 F street, the building is just 3 blocks from The White House).
Since the 1970s, through the presidencies of Lloyd Hartman Elliott and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, GWU has become a major undergraduate and graduate institution. In December 2006, the university named Johns Hopkins University provost Steven Knapp its next president, to begin his term on August 1 2007.[3]
In 1996, the university purchased the Mount Vernon College for Women in the city's Foxhall neighborhood that became the school's co-educational Mount Vernon Campus. The campus was first utilized in 1997 for women only, but became co-eduational in a matter of years. The Mount Vernon campus is now totally integrated into the GW community, serving as a great compliment to the Foggy Bottom campus.
Academics
Students at GW participate in a wide variety of educational opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. 9,700 full-time undergraduates are studying in 87 majors with 1,500 in business, 500 in engineering, 2,000 in international affairs, 700 in communications and media, 800 in sciences and math, 2,900 in social sciences, and 1,300 in arts, languages, and humanities. Nearly 900 students participate in GW's Study Abroad Programs each semester in 50 countries.[6] Additionally, about 125 entering students each fall join the University Honors Program community of 500 students. These students routinely live in the Scholars' Village, which is a unique academic housing concept for upperclassmen. Each "villager" has competed for a space in this prestigious "themed-house" environment.
The George Washington University has a medical school and its own hospital.
In addition to offering courses on its Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon campuses, GW faculty teach a large number of graduate courses in the suburbs of Washington (in Maryland and Virginia). The Graduate School of Political Management primarily holds their classes in the Hall of the States building at 444 North Capitol Street, located on north side of the U.S. Capitol Building and Senate offices.
Medical school students in class (1958)
Organization
The university is governed by a Board of Trustees[7]. The Board is responsible for selecting the President of the University, who is charged with managing the institution.
The university is organized into nine schools and colleges:
★ Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS)
★
★ School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA)
★
★ Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration (SPPPA)
★ College of Professional Studies
★
★ Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM)
★
★ Online Masters in Political Management (GSPM)
★ Elliott School of International Affairs (ESIA)
★ The George Washington University Law School
★ The Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD)
★ School of Business (GWSB)
★ School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)
★ George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS)
★ George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS)
Tuition
The George Washington University is the most expensive undergraduate institution in the United States[8] [9]. Tuition is guaranteed to remain at the freshman rate for up to ten continuous (full time) semesters of attendance at the university. Tuition for the 2007-2008 year is $39,210 with a housing/board estimated cost of $11,900[10]. That tuition rate only applies to the incoming Class of 2011 and those who remain at the university after 10 full time semesters. The New York Times recently reported [11] that the tuition for the class of 2011 at $39,210 makes GW the first university to break the $50,000 mark for total tuition and fees.
Students and faculty
10,761 undergraduate students attended the university as of the 2006-2007 school year[12]. 12,634 graduate students enrolled for the Fall 2005 academic semester. In 2001, there were 1,508 full-time and 2,725 part-time members of the faculty.
Student Life
The George Washington University has been ranked by The Princeton Review as in Top 10 for the following categories:[4]
★ Most Politically Active
★ Dorms Like Palaces
★ Great College Towns
★ Best in the Northeast
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Student government
The Student Association (SA) is the official undergraduate and graduate student government of The George Washington University. The SA is fashioned after the federal government with three cooperative and equal branches of government. The President and Executive Vice President, however, are separately and popularly elected. Senate representation is divided among the schools of the university. Student elections are generally held in February or March of the spring semester and have been administered electronically since 1999 in designated locations or via paper ballot. To be elected, candidates for President and Executive Vice President must receive at least 40% of the student vote or else require a run-off election.
Historically, SA presidents have fared well in the political arena. Former SA president Edward "Skip" Gnehm was the Ambassador to Kuwait during the Gulf War and received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and two Presidential Meritorious Service Awards. Former SA president John David Morris (1989-1990) currently serves as a city councilman in Peoria, Illinois, and Al Park (1994-1995) is a New Mexico state representative and possible candidate for New Mexico Attorney General. Actor Alec Baldwin ran for SA President as a junior and narrowly lost. After his defeat, he transferred to New York University (NYU) to pursue his acting career. Jonathan D. Katz was SA president from 1980-81 and went on to found Queer Nation San Francisco and to become a professor of gay and lesbian studies as well as art.
The Student Association Executive Vice President chairs the Student Senate and assists the President in the performance of his duties.
The Student Association Senate is composed of 29 voting members, of which 15 are undergraduate students and 14 are graduate students. Seats are distributed proportionally based on each school's popular enrollment. There are also two undergraduate and two graduate at-large Senate seats.
The student government also includes a Student Court that adjudicates disputes between student groups and among the branches of the government.
Student organizations
There are over four hundred student organizations at the University, including organizations of common interest or political activism, ethnic organizations, and Greek organizations.
Political and international organizations
The George Washington University is home to several large and active political and international organizations.
The GW College Democrats hosts many Democratic events and speakers. In 2006-07, the College Democrats hosted Senators Boxer and Dorgan, Reps. Pallone, Frank, Israel, and Wexer, and James Carville. In addition, the chaper campaigned for Democratic House and Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Ohio. Howard Dean formally endorsed John Kerry for President on campus at a GW College Democrats sponsored event. In 2007, the GW College Democrats won second place in the College Democrats of America Chapter of the year award.
Started in Fall 2006, the GW Democrats, a collegiate chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America and the Young Democrats of America, focus on Democratic and Progressive activism.
Started in the Spring of 2006, War Child GWU is the first student chapter of War Child Canada in the United States. War Child is a non-profit organization aimed at helping children throughout the world caught up in the horrors of war.
The GW College Republicans was named the Best Chapter of 2005 by the College Republican National Committee.
Started during the 2006-2007 year, the GW College Libertarians are a voice for third parties and disillusioned Democrats and Republicans. They have been included in one debate with the GW Collge Democrats and GW College Republicans.
The International Affairs Society (IAS) participates in international affairs-related events such as the Model United Nations.
G.W.'s Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) is one of the most active chapters in the country. Last year, the club staged AIDS awareness and prevention events, as D.C. currently has the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the country (119 per 100,000).[13]
The GW Chapter of STAND, or GW STAND, was formed in 2003 shortly after the first group was organized at Georgetown University. It has sponsored rallies, information sessions, and promoted divestment, about genocide in general, but specifically about genocide in Darfur.
The Global Language Group, or Global Languages, is a non-profit organization that offers over 150 free classes in 50 languages.
Greek-letter organizations
There are four honor societies: Order of Omega, Phi Beta Kappa, Omnicron Delta Kappa, and Tau Beta Pi.
There are 14 recognized men's social fraternities on campus, including Alpha Epsilon Pi, Beta Theta Pi, Kappa Sigma, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Sigma Kappa, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Nu, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and Theta Delta Chi. Sigma Chi was approved for recolonization in 2006, and expects to be rechartered in early Fall 2007. Kappa Alpha Order inducted its alpha class on March 2 2007, and expects to be rechartered in January 2008.
There are also two social fraternities, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Sigma Alpha Mu (also called "SAMMY"), that are not recognized by the university. A group of male students also maintain Alpha Pi Epsilon (or "Apes"), a group that emerged from a collection of students who had lost recognition by Alpha Epsilon Pi and Zeta Beta Tau due to hazing charges in 2001.
There are nine Panhellenic sororities on campus, including Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Epsilon Phi, Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Sigma Sigma, Sigma Delta Tau, and Sigma Kappa. Pi Beta Phi was approved for colonization by the Panhellenic Association in 2006, and installed as a chapter in January of 2007.
Three National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; have chapters at GW. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has a city-wide chapter in Washington, DC, with some members from GW.
The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) includes Iota Nu Delta fraternity, Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity, Pi Delta Psi fraternity, and Sigma Psi Zeta sorority.
There are also a number of professional and honorary fraternities active on campus. Delta Phi Epsilon, the nation's first and only professional foreign service society, was rechartered in 2005. Theta Tau, the nation's oldest and foremost engineering fraternity, is active on campus, as is the national honor fraternity Phi Sigma Pi, and the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. Additionally, there are two community service based Greek-letter organizations on campus: Alpha Phi Omega, a co-educational service fraternity, and Epsilon Sigma Alpha, which was founded in spring 2003 and is currently the only community service sorority on campus.
Media
There are two student run news sources on campus, the twice-weekly newspaper The GW Hatchet, founded in 1904, and The Daily Colonial, an online daily founded in 2004.
There is also an online only student-run radio station, WRGW, that is in its 79th year.
In addition, there is a student run magazine on campus called GW Discourse, The Political Science Quarterly [14] (founded in December of 2006).
Student Groups
The Enosinian Society, founded in 1822, is one of George Washington University’s oldest and most storied student organizations. Invited speakers included prominent U.S., including Daniel Webster. The Society was reconstituted in 2005 and holds bi-weekly amicable, spirited debate on important issues of the day.[15]
Intramural sports are also very popular in addition to the NCAA Division I varsity teams.
GW is home to an active performing arts community. Music groups include Emocapella, the Sons of Pitch, the Sirens, The GW Vibes, the GW Troubadors, and the GW Pitches. Student theater organizations include Generic Theatre Company , 14th Grade Players, Forbidden Planet Productions (FPP), and receSs, GWU's only comedy troupe. Balance: The GW Ballet Group offers free student-taught ballet classes to members, produces and performs The Nutcracker and other shows and offers discounted tickets to ballets at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Capital Funk is GW's only competitive Hip Hop dance troupe. In May, 2007 they won first place at the 2007 East Coast Hip Hop Dance Competition hosted by Culture Shock DC [16]
As of Fall 2007, GW has two faculty-directed choral groups: University Singers and the smaller Chamber Singers. The latter was disbanded for a number of years but is being reinstated. University Singers tours each year, with international tours occurring every other year. In May and June of 2007, GW University Singers traveled to Croatia, Slovenia and Italy, and performed in all three countries.
The Chess Club was reconstituted in September of 2005 and now competes with other universities' teams nationally. It is currently coached by Grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek, who is also an alumnus.
School songs
Fight song
The school fight song, "Hail to the Buff & Blue" or "The G.W. Fight Song" is as follows:
:''Hail to the buff! (buff!)''
:''Hail to the blue! (blue!)''
:''Hail to the buff and blue!''
:''All our lives we'll be proud to say,''
:''We hail from G.W.! (go big blue!)''
:''Oh by George we're happy we can say,''
:''We're G.W. here to show the way!''
:''So raise high the buff! (buff!)''
:''Raise high the blue! (blue!)''
:''Loyal to G.W.!''
:''(You bet we're!)''
:''Loyal to G.W.! (fight!)''
This song plays on synthesized bells (without words) every weekday at noon and 6:00 p.m. from the center of campus.
Alma Mater
The school's Alma Mater as sung today was rewritten from its original version in 1970:
:''Hail Alma Mater,''
:''To thy spirit guiding,''
:''Knowledge thy closest friend''
:''In its strength abiding,''
:''Pledge we fidelity''
:''Ne'er its place resigning,''
:''Hail thee George Washington.''
Athletics
George Washington Colonials logo
GW has an extensive Division I program that includes Men's Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Gymnastics, Women's Lacrosse, Rowing, Soccer, Women's Softball, Squash, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Women's Volleyball, and Water Polo. Colonials athletics teams compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. While only a Division II program, the Men's and Women's Rugby Teams both compete in the Potomac Rugby Union and have had much recent success.[17]
The university's colors are buff and blue (buff being a color similar to tan, but often represented as gold or yellow). The colors were taken from George Washington's uniform in the Revolutionary War.
GW's football team won the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas in 1957. The school last competed in the sport in 1966 as a member of the Southern Conference.[18]
The teams have achieved great successes in recent years including a first round victory in the Men's NCAA Division I Soccer Tournament in 2004
Basketball
Mike Jarvis coached GW in the 1990s, and led the team to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 1993, where they were beaten by the Fab Five Michigan team. Jarvis also coached current Colonials Head Coach Karl Hobbs in high school. NBA flop Yinka Dare also played at George Washington for two years before being drafted in the first round by the New Jersey Nets.
GW's Basketball team returned to the National Stage in 2004 after defeating No. 9 Michigan State and No. 12 Maryland in back to back games to win the 2004 BB&T Classic. That year the Men's Basketball team went on to win the Atlantic 10 West Title and the Atlantic 10 Tournament Title (earning an automatic bid to the 2005 NCAA Tournament). The #12 seeded Colonials tournament was short, ending with a first round loss to #5 Seed Georgia Tech.
The team began the 2005 season ranked 21st in the Associated Press poll and after some tournament success they closed out the year ranked 19th nationwide. They had a record of 26-2 (16-0 in the A-10) going into the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The 2005-2006 season had been the team's best ever, surpassing the start of the 1953-1954 season and receiving an #8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. In the tournament, they came back from a 18 point second-half deficit to defeat #9 seed UNC-Wilmington, but lost to Duke University, the top overall seed in the Second Round.
While only one Colonial from the 2005-2006 team was drafted in the 2006 NBA Draft, Danilo Pinnock, there are currently three Colonials from that team in the NBA. Pops Mensah-Bonsu plays for the Dallas Mavericks and Mike Hall, who recently signed a contract with the Washington Wizards.
The 2006-2007 basketball season was considered by many to be a rebuilding year for the colonials after graduating their entire starting front court and losing junior leader Danilo Pinnock to the NBA. But coach Karl Hobbs and Senior guard Carl Elliott managed to lead the team to a 23-8 record, winning the 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament in Atlantic City, NJ (once again earning an auto-bid to the NCAA Tournament). The Colonials were placed as a #11 seed losing against #6 seed Vanderbilt University in Sacramento, CA 77-44 [19].
Karl Hobbs, a former player and coach under Jim Calhoun at the University of Connecticut is in his sixth year as head coach. Hobbs is a fan favorite -- often receiving as much applause during his entrance to games as the athletes. Known for his outward shows of emotion during games that include stomping his foot and slamming his clipboard, Hobbs is considered one of the up-and-coming coaches in the NCAA.
Spirit Programs
The mascot for the Colonials is George, a student wearing a life-size George Washington costume with a large head. [5] The sports teams are called Colonials. There is also an inflatable Colonial mascot called "Big George" (as opposed to "Little George," the life-size mascot) and an inflatable hippo.[6] The Hippo was instituted by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, and there is a hippo statue at the corner of 21st and H Street NW on campus. Professor and former University Honors Program Chairman David Allen Grier is credited with fabricating the legend of the "River Horse" and the statue's purpose for being located on campus.
The official student supporters' group of the men's basketball team is called the Colonial Army. It is one of the largest student organizations on campus.
Reserve Officers Training Corps
GW has a Navy ROTC program on campus.
Notable alumni and faculty
★ List of George Washington University people
Harry Reid, the current Senate Majority Leader
J. Edgar Hoover, the longest serving, and arguably most controversial director of the FBI
Presidents
★ William Staughton (1821-1827)
★ Stephen Chapin (1828-1841)
★ Joel Smith Bacon (1843-1854)
★ Joseph Getchell Binney (1855-1858)
★ George Whitefield Samson (1859-1871)
★ James Clarke Welling (1871-1894)
★ Samuel Harrison Greene (1894-1895)
★ Benaiah L. Whitman (1895-1900)
★ Samuel Harrison Greene (1900-1902)
★ Charles Willis Needham (1902-1910)
★ Charles Herbert Stockton (1910-1918)
★ William Miller Collier (1918-1921)
★ Howard L. Hodgkins (1921-1923)
★ William Mather Lewis (1923-1927)
★ Cloyd Heck Marvin (1927-1959)
★ Oswald Symister Colclough (1959-1961)
★ Thomas Henry Carroll (1961-1964)
★ Lloyd Hartman Elliott (1965-1988)
★ Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (1988-2007)
★ Steven Knapp (2007 - Present)
Notes
1. "GW's endowment breaks one billion," GW Hatchet [1]
2. "Rediscovering George Washington" from the website of the Public Broadcasting Service; accessed February 23, 2007
3. ''The GW Hatchet'', December 4 2006; accessed February 23 2007
4. http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/generalinfo.asp?listing=1022790<ID=1
5. GW Spirit Programs, [20]
6. GW Spirit Programs http://spirit.gwu.edu/AboutUs/Mascots/
External links
★ The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia
★ George Washington University Historical Photographs - online images of individuals, localities, objects, buildings, events, and groups associated with the history of the University.
★ The George Washington University web site
★ ''The GW Hatchet'' - A twice-weekly independent student newspaper
★ ''The Daily Colonial'' - A daily, online students news site
★ Official GW athletics site
★ The ''GW Patriot'' - A conservative monthly journal web site
★ GW News Center
★ WRGW - GW's All-Online Student-Run Radio Station
★ GW's Parent's Association
★ GW's Alumni Online Community
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