**George Washington University (GWU)** is a private, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., founded in 1821 as Columbian College by an Act of Congress, fulfilling George Washington's vision for a national intellectual hub.[1][2][4] Located primarily in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood—blocks from the White House—it educates over 25,000 students across three campuses, emphasizing liberal arts, professional skills, ethical responsibility, and public service in fields like international affairs, law, medicine, and technology.[1][2][4] GWU's history traces to 1821, when President Monroe chartered it as a non-denominational institution; the first commencement in 1824 drew dignitaries like Monroe and Lafayette.[1] It relocated to Foggy Bottom in 1912, boasting the District's oldest law school, the nation's 11th-oldest medical school (established 1824), and the Elliott School of International Affairs (1898).[1][3] Key milestones include treating Abraham Lincoln (1853), pioneering women's medical education (1887), admitting its first Black medical graduate (1959), and hosting atomic fission revelations (1939) and Reagan's post-assassination care (1981).[3][4] Achievements shine through alumni like five U.S. Supreme Court justices, Colin Powell, J. Edgar Hoover, and Jackie Kennedy, who shaped policy, law, and intelligence.[4] In business and technology, GWU's Virginia Science and Technology Campus fosters innovation, while its medical school advanced pharmacology (e.g., Nobel laureate Julius Axelrod, PhD '55) and AIDS research.[3][4] Ranked prominently in global standings, it excels in internships via D.C. proximity to agencies and firms.[4] Today, GWU thrives with a vibrant campus life—arts ensembles, championship soccer and basketball legacies since 1906, and mas