Columbian University

The George Washington University

Former names	Columbian College Columbian University
Motto	Latin: Deus Nobis Fiducia
Motto in English	God is Our Trust
Type	Private
Established	February 9, 1821
Endowment	$1.570 billion (2016)
Chairman	Nelson Carbonell
President	Steven Knapp
Provost	Forrest Maltzman
Academic staff	2,663
Students	27,159 (2016)
Undergraduates	11,244 (2016)
Postgraduates	15,486 (2016)
Other students	429 (2016)
Location	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Campus	Urban (Foggy Bottom) Suburban (Mount Vernon and Virginia campuses)
Colors	Buff and Blue
Sports	24 varsity sports teams 11 men's and 13 women's
Nickname	Colonials
Mascot	George Washington The Colonial
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – A-10
Website	gwu.edu

The George Washington University (GW, GWU, or George Washington) is a private research university in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Founded in 1821 as Columbian College, the university has since grown to comprise fourteen undergraduate and graduate colleges and schools, including the School of Media and Public Affairs, Elliott School of International Affairs, Law School, and School of Public Health. George Washington's main campus is located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood with two satellite campuses located in the Foxhall neighborhood of Washington, D.C. and in Ashburn, Virginia. It is the second oldest and the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia.

George Washington, the first President of the United States, advocated the establishment of a centrally located national university in his first State of the Union address in 1790 and continued to promote this idea throughout his career and until his death. In his will, Washington left his 50 shares in the Potomac Company to help endow the university. However, due to the company's financial difficulties, the expected funding was not available. Instead funds were raised independently and on February 9, 1821, the university was chartered by an act of Congress. Although originally named Columbian College, its name was changed to Columbian University in 1873 and to the George Washington University in 1904, in honor of the president.

George Washington offers degree programs in seventy-one disciplines, enrolling an average of 11,000 undergraduate and 15,500 post-graduate students from more than 130 countries. The university is well known for preparing leaders for careers in government, international affairs, and journalism. As of 2015, George Washington had 1,116 active-duty alumni working in the U.S. Foreign Service, second only to Georgetown. Notable George Washington alumni include U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, South Korean President Syngman Rhee, and FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.