history history spans nearly years early settlement america present day grown city washington united_states date founding period georgetown origins establishment maryland colony seventeenth century established school present location american revolution allowed free religious practice role school operation evolved founders faculty advisers focus liberal studies religious helped school identity georgetown affected times including american civil war disrupted growing school significantly changed student body university presidents like modernized institution active research university graduate undergraduate schools oversaw expansion educational opportunities campus city abroad founding history traces formative events school start construction building founding date year copy edit college catalog began construction beginning discovered preparation centennial celebration point correct annual date georgetown foundation fixed date january establishments november set sail british north america leadership financing lord baltimore landing march island marks birth maryland colony anniversary celebrated maryland day joined establishing near means christian education native tribe patronage school wrote superior general society jesus rome pope urban viii september approved institution school principle year moved permanent building early establishment burnt english civil war remaining brought trial england new protestant administration school outlawed functioning managed return known near modern day maryland available house served jesuit existence alerted british authorities school afterward conducted periodically secrecy new jesuit colony attended school left studies europe joined ordained pope ordered suppression jesuit order forcing return maryland right place right time american revolution pushed english administration opening new possibilities expansion georgetown heights returning live maryland established maryland cousin declaration independence invited john join traveling quebec attempt persuade french canadian population join revolution mission unsuccessful association proved useful franklin ambassador france recommended papal paris head june superior missions united_states north_america november authority confirmed elected clergy beginning convened meetings area clergy white marsh outside maryland body known resolved november school erected education youth location school georgetown site influenced experience jesuit colleges europe located urban centers port towns missionary focus march formed fund raising committee formal proposals academy george town maryland district_of_columbia borders wouldn defined passage implementation residence act april georgetown landowner donated plot land ultimately founded april construction began larger neighboring plot georgetown building later called old south leading write shall begin building academy summer academy built hopes success holy religion united_states january completed purchase seventy pounds current money acre half construction started land core georgetown campus result university celebrates date founding difficulty filling position president university candidates declining job took office served months oversaw division academy college preparatory elementary youngest starting age teacher late october student enrolled november classes commenced january students attending year georgetown second building old north survives day began construction times size old south greatly increased number classrooms sleeping space campus building completion george_washington visited spoke porch position reserved presidents early growth early years georgetown suffered considerable financial strain relying private sources funding limited profits local farms donated wealthy landowners farms included african slaves september tuition increased time arrived president brought collection books collection books formed nucleus georgetown library january released advertise college abroad drove school debt hiring numerous new faculty including fencing teachers buying silver school piano board directors organized quickly spending preference french faculty particularly quasi war board forced resign december beginning brother oversaw growth university presidents combined years request appointed bishop invited sisters open monastery georgetown june young georgetown monastery mother began saturday school young women developed academy remained president georgetown succeeded died brother president suppression maryland ended rejoined including commenced series agreements ensure jesuit involvement school rejoined society school began jesuit recruits moving russia society suppression didn seek civil recognition georgetown suppression international society ended instead state charter went federal government charge district_of_columbia congressman sponsored legislation georgetown received federal charter march allowed georgetown grant academic degrees college recipients pair brothers new_york named awarded degree bachelor arts graduate degrees awarded jesuit schools conferred degrees georgetown charter years afterward holy empowered georgetown degrees philosophy theology founder died december age eighty left georgetown pounds sterling marked beginning georgetown construction new building brought hospital beds georgetown school presidents organized sale slaves jesuit owned tobacco plantation maryland louisiana plantation funds sale repay debts recent school expansion later disciplined rome ignoring order families slaves intact slaves shipped domestic slave trade sold primarily sugar cane plantations money found catholic high schools new_york_city philadelphia saw demand urban ministry serve increasing number immigrants europe including catholics ireland june growing school congress president directors georgetown observatory completed determine latitude washington calculation nation capital catholic doctors frustrated felt practices neighboring petitioned georgetown president found medical program building purpose purchased 12th streets founded holding classes following year early student life beginning georgetown intended exclusively catholic years nearly fifth students protestant fifth students caribbean jewish students known attending european immigrants napoleonic war refugees significant parts early student body school rules harshly enforced strict regulated students movements founder accused running georgetown principles convent student organized rebellions georgetown administration period notable occurred january administration school food students damaged took charge local hotel student society lady founded religious group strict revision school rules forbade personal conversations particular associations despite society founded school debating literary society oldest kind america oldest secular group georgetown debating societies founded model opposition later years short lived lasted officially organized oldest military unit native district_of_columbia renamed mask dramatic society world war founded oldest surviving student dramatic society america civil war civil war important tragic time university beginning december society debated southern states debate lasted weeks society affirmed brawl ensued debates canceled rest fist fights campus northern southern students soon common beginning students left studies join war students ultimately enlisted union_army died war enrollment dropped students late georgetown total students percent years earlier seven students graduated decade prior responding lack adequate hospital beds housing soldiers needed protect district union university buildings time president abraham_lincoln visit campus troops stationed temporary quarters established hall june unit replaced new york volunteer infantry occupation ended july unit left fight battle bull run university remained home soldiers remainder war georgetown later connected assassination abraham_lincoln conspirators associations georgetown accompanied booth escape attended school received certificate booth kidnap lincoln attended set booth broken ankle following assassination studied medicine founders medical school doctors treated lincoln night died war drastically changed georgetown making northern catholic increasingly larger student body came northern cities populated catholic immigrants student body primarily southern war dynamic expressed georgetown official school colors boat club school rowing team adopted blue uniform union_army gray uniforms military forces team colors order peaceful unity students north south students georgetown blue gray uniforms team georgetown motto war helped capture unity spirit expansion president african american president predominantly white university influence georgetown far reaching referred school second founder modernized curriculum requiring courses sciences particularly chemistry physics successors sought professional schools university concentrate higher education visible result presidency construction large building begun later named hall honor school law approved march graduated students law department moved 6th far street georgetown raised raise minimum age enrollment raised thirteen focus higher education relocated campus nearby maryland fully separated remained attached university campus independently run occasionally share facilities numerous new schools founded twentieth century founded prepare students leadership foreign commerce diplomacy organized created new developments came established campus georgetown obtained integrated medical school began undergraduate medical program new completed classes moved main campus separated independent unit october congress passed bill recognized school time bill effect referred georgetown college point known branch university library completed bringing space rapidly growing library collection following completion bernard hall law school moved present location 1st streets borders 1960s saw major changes administration student body female students admitted founding university available women limited basis wasn welcomed female students academic year georgetown fully rituals long tolerated administration banned student brought suit school injuries sustained president phased restrictions attendance african americans black undergraduate formed georgetown named black member largely product substantial changes 1980s moved new home edward center championship georgetown men basketball team helped household stars georgetown ended year president subsequently launched build school december georgetown completed campaign joining universities worldwide raise billion single fund drive campaign supported financial aid academic chair new capital projects university decided close following class financial reasons number dental students dropped nationwide supplies equipment school sent colombia folded college october renamed honor alumnus moved newly constructed added health related majors georgetown lay president led school continued financial modernization sought expand opportunities dialogue october began studying feasibility opening campus non profit proposed idea opened universities education city development year georgetown began hosting week workshop shanghai china later developed formal connection georgetown opened liaison office january collaboration founded annual building bridges brings global religious leaders georgetown effort promote religious theological center georgetown campus center contemporary arab studies opened september grants egypt center muslim christian understanding opened million grant prince center renamed begun initiative grant launched independent organization additionally opened new campus fictional depictions georgetown major world university featured media years prominent example horror novel written received english degree georgetown novel loosely based series conducted fourteen year old boy nearby maryland missouri novel film titled like novel film set georgetown filmed campus fall semester climatic scene uses steep staircase canal road previously know popularly steps appeal film release called steps pack film revolved group students graduated georgetown bar film takes place based tombs bar restaurant known large student rowing located block georgetown gates historic university owned house georgetown denied producers rights film campus parts film shot nearby additionally destination characters films rim save dance election girl door television shows filmed scenes campus film written georgetown alumnus main character nemesis said named professor victorian literature georgetown
History of Georgetown University