Georgetown University

Georgetown University sits on a bluff above the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.'s historic Georgetown neighborhood. Founded in 1789 by Bishop John Carroll, it is the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the United States and the first university chartered by the federal government. The university opened its doors in 1791, blending Catholic and Enlightenment traditions to educate the new nation's leaders.

Today, Georgetown comprises eleven schools and colleges, including the Walsh School of Foreign Service (the oldest international affairs school in the U.S., established 1919), the McDonough School of Business, the Law Center, and the School of Medicine. Its main campus overlooks the Potomac, with additional campuses in downtown D.C., Qatar, and Italy. The university enrolls over 20,000 students and employs more than 3,400 faculty and staff.

Georgetown is known for rigorous academics and a Jesuit commitment to cura personalis - care of the whole person. Its alumni include U.S. President Bill Clinton, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and King Felipe VI of Spain. The Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team, coached for years by the legendary John Thompson, won the NCAA championship in 1984. The university has also confronted its historical ties to slavery, issuing a formal apology in 2017 and creating a reconciliation fund for descendants of enslaved people sold in 1838.[edit]

Georgetown University is rooted in the Jesuit tradition of cura personalis - care of the whole person. The university pursues knowledge for the common good, emphasizing intellectual rigor, ethical reflection, and service to others. Its mission statement calls for educating a diverse community of students to become leaders dedicated to justice and the common good.[edit]

Bishop John Carroll, a former Jesuit missionary and the first Catholic bishop in the United States, secured a charter for Georgetown College on January 23, 1789. The school opened its doors to students in 1791, with classes held in a modest frame house on the edge of the frontier town. The first commencement took place in 1815, and by 1844 the university had established the first Catholic medical school in the country.

The Law Center followed in 1870, and the School of Foreign Service in 1919, cementing Georgetown's role as a training ground for diplomats and public servants. Women were fully admitted to all undergraduate programs in 1982. In 2001, John J. DeGioia became the first lay president of the university, serving until his retirement in 2024. That year, Robert M. Groves took over as interim president.

Georgetown has faced challenges, including the 2019 Varsity Blues admissions scandal involving a former tennis coach, and ongoing debates about labor practices and free speech. The university took a significant step in 2017 by formally apologizing for its historical ties to slavery and creating a reconciliation fund for descendants of enslaved people sold in 1838 to keep the school afloat.[edit]