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Introduction
The George Washington University and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia seeks to capture 187 years of GW's achievements and over two centuries of Foggy Bottom history. As a source of accurate factual information, the Encyclopedia can be used by anyone interested in the history of GW or Foggy Bottom. The Encyclopedia is an ongoing, constantly growing, online resource. At present there are no plans for a printed version.
The Encyclopedia is edited by Meredith Evans Raiford, Ph.D, Director, Special Collections Research Center.
mailto:archives@gwu.edu
Acknowledgements:
G. David Anderson was one of the creators of the GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. He served as editor until his retirement from The George Washington University June 30, 2009. He was the University Archivist and Historian.
Lyle Slovick played a major role in the development of the GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. He prepared several hundred of the article entries and served as co-editor for the first year of its existence.
Karen Greisman, for her incredible patience in editing the text of these pages for typos and fractured syntax. She has done a thankless task with grace and good cheer. Sabrina Meijome, for her research and editing assistance. Justin Hunter, Zahra Ashraf, Orlando Carvajal, and Evan Laney (student assistants), for their valuable research and transcription assistance. Emily Moazami redesigned the GW History Museum in 2006. Several of her designs are used in the encyclopedia. Phil Raino designed the top banner for the GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia.
Additions or Edits
Please note that this Encyclopedia is blocked from editing except for designated individuals. If you would like to contact us concerning errors or new additions for the Encyclopedia please e-mail us at: mailto:archives@gwu.edu. Thank you.
Categories
This category includes chronologies of the university and the Foggy Bottom area.
This category includes significant events in the history of the university and the Foggy Bottom area. It also includes "firsts" and social events. Not all events need to be officially sanctioned university events. They may be natural disasters, demonstrations, rallies, etc.
This category deals specifically with the Foggy Bottom area.
This category includes histories of the university or Foggy Bottom area. It also includes citations of books or booklets written about the university and Foggy Bottom and some of the traditions established through the years.
This category includes GW graduates, professors, staff, trustees, administrators, friends and individuals from Foggy Bottom who have made a significant contributions to the University, to their profession or chosen field, or to society in general. In addition, people with no formal affiliation with GW who have made a significant contribution to the educational mission may also be included.
This category explores official and unofficial places that carry special significance for the university or community. It includes memorials, buildings, monuments, campus and community maps, plaques and gates, libraries and event locations. We would like to find and catalog as many as possible.
This category describes the history of a school or program at the university. Even if relatively short-lived it, is an essential part of the history of the university. The schools, programs, departments and centers define the scope and reach of an institution.
This category includes people and events in all aspects of sports at the University.
This category deals with aspects of student life over GW's 186 year history with special emphasis on student organizations and student publications.
University Campuses (Other than Foggy Bottom)
This category includes information on the several campuses of the university--Foggy Bottom, Mount Vernon, Northern Virginia, the Pre-1912 campuses and other off-site building locations.
This category deals with articles about the University Archives and Museum.
This category portrays photographic histories on various subjects.
Format
TITLE
ARTICLE
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
- Images:
- This lists the number of images included in the article.
- Photographic Credit:
- If we have a photographic credit it will be included here.
- Author or Source:
- This will contain information as to the author, source citations or notes on research.
- Document Location:
- This will cite where the document or information is located.
- Date Added to Encyclopedia:
- This will indicate when the article was added to the Encyclopedia.
- Prepared by:
- This will list who prepared the document for inclusion in the encyclopedia. The preparer is responsible for researching, writing or scanning the document into the encyclopedia.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Brief History of GW
In 1819, the Reverend Luther Rice, Obadiah B. Brown, Spencer H. Cone, and Enoch Reynolds (all Baptist ministers) set in motion the reality of a college in the District. These men raised the needed funds to purchase land in the nation's capital, petitioned the Congress for a charter, and began organizing a college.
On February 9, 1821, President James Monroe signed the Act of Congress which created the College. By design of the Congress, a special provision was included which required that "persons of every religious denomination shall be capable of being elected Trustees; nor shall any person, either as President, Professor, Tutor or pupil, be refused admittance, or denied any of the privileges, immunities, or advantages thereof, for or on account of his sentiments in matters of religion."
Columbian College's first location became known as "College Hill." This 46-1/2 acre tract of land extended north of Boundary Street (now Florida Avenue) between 14th and 15th Streets, and was purchased for $7,000. The College's central building was a large structure for classes and boarding which accommodated 100 students. There were three smaller buildings housing professors, the College President, the College Steward, and "philosophical equipment." Occupying this site for over 60 years, the College was a brief walk from the Capitol Building.
Originally, Columbian College was composed of a preparatory school and two departments: a Theological Department (discontinued after two years); and a Classical Department with Professors of General History, Belles Lettres, Rhetoric, Moral Philosophy, Learned Languages, Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and Botany. The first degrees were awarded in 1824, with the first Master of Arts degree following in 1831. By the middle of the 1800s, the College offered the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts and Bachelor of Philosophy.
Classes in 1822 with a faculty of three professors and one tutor. Requisites for student admission included an acquaintance with English grammar and arithmetic, a thorough knowledge of geography, and the ability to read and write Latin. The prospective student had to be able to translate, with a high degree of competence, Caesar's Commentaries, and the works of Virgil, Sallust, select orations of Cicero, and the New Testament in Greek. Thirty students registered for the first term.
The College graduated its first class of three seniors on December 15, 1824. Considered an important event for the nation's capital, the President of the United States, his cabinet and many members of Congress attended. The entourage was entertained by the Marine Band. The Marquis de Lafayette, general and hero of the American Revolution, was the guest of honor, and was officially welcomed after the ceremonies by the Reverend William Staughton, first President of the College.
The concept of a large and urban institution began to evolve early in the College's history. In addition to the Baccalaureate Program, a Preparatory School, established in 1821, continued until 1897. The Medical Department was founded in 1825 and originally located at 10th and E Streets, in the heart of Washington. The next year, the Law Department was founded; although it was discontinued after two years, it reopened in 1865. In the years preceding the American Civil War, approximately 300 students received degrees from Columbian College.
The Civil War split the College as it did the nation. When the conflict began, most of the students left their classrooms to join the Southern forces. The faculty as well was split by their opposing loyalties. Dr. A.Y.P. Garnett, Professor of Anatomy since 1854, departed for the South, where he served as physician to Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. Dr. Robert King Stone remained to become the personal physician to Abraham Lincoln.
On orders of President Lincoln, much of the campus was taken over by the federal government for use as two army hospitals, barracks, accommodations for the sick, and troop quarters. After the war, the College experienced its own "re-union." Washington was changed by the Civil War into a rapidly developing urban community with greater needs for education training. In response, Columbian College began offering its first evening classes for advanced students. In 1873, the institution's charter was amended and Columbian College became Columbian University. By the late 1880s, the University was centralized in its downtown location (15th and H Streets) where the Department of Law and Medicine were already located.
The Corcoran Scientific School was established in 1888, and the School of Comparative Jurisprudence and Diplomacy followed in 1898. By order of the Corporation of the University at the 1892 annual meeting, a School of Graduate Studies was established, offering 30 different fields of graduate study toward secondary degrees.
There were athletic activities since the late 1800's. Football began in 1890, produced several championship teams, and was discontinued in 1967. Track (1904), rifle teams, baseball (1890s), and basketball (1906) were among the original sports at GW. The first basketball team won the newly organized Southern Championship. Over the years competitive sports were established and proud traditions begun.
Other student traditions included the college yearbook and student newspaper. Originally called The Columbiad in 1890, the yearbook became The C in 1904, The Mall in 1905, and finally The Cherry Tree in 1908. In 1902, the idea for a campus newspaper surfaced. The first continuous student newspaper was called The Weekly Columbian. With the University's name change in 1904, the newspaper was renamed The University Hatchet. For more than a century, fraternities and sororities have been a part of campus life. Many other student organizations, such as religious groups, choral and instrumental music groups, and residence hall associations, have contributed to the student's university experience, to the University itself, and to the Washington community.
In 1904, Columbian University became The George Washington University by an Act of Congress. University President Charles H. Stockton provided guidance, reorganizing the University in 1911 to reduce expenditures and selling property to increase revenue. Through the urging of Dr. Stockton, the Department of Arts and Sciences was moved in 1912 to 2023 G Street.
The early growth of the University at Foggy Bottom was quite exceptional. Buildings, rented for the first year, were purchased by the University. The existing dwellings were remodeled into classrooms. With these efforts and construction of two new buildings, President Stockton laid a strong foundation for GW Presidents Cloyd Heck Marvin (1927-1959), Lloyd H. Elliott (1965-1988) and Stephen Joel Trachtenberg (1988-2007).
The 32 years of Dr. Marvin's presidency represent the longest in the history of the school. By the 1930s, the University was well established in the Foggy Bottom area. The city was growing and the institution had become a true urban university. During this time, another major reorganization took place in the curriculum of the University.
In addition, Dr. Marvin reorganized the administration of the University and with the assistance of the Board of Trustees, strengthened its financial structure. Through Dr. Marvin's efforts, the School of Government was established with an endowment from the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite, a Masonic organization. In 1950, the College of General Studies was founded to provide courses for special groups on and off campus. Throughout Dr. Cloyd Heck Marvin's tenure, the University had undergone physical change.
In the 1930s, GW served as a center of activity for theoretical physicists and as the backdrop for some of the most important conferences on theoretical physics ever held. The development gave GW a prominent place in scientific history.
Dr. Marvin led the University through the war years. With the outbreak of the war in 1941, national defense overshadowed events at the University. The construction of Lisner Auditorium brought needed space for student body meetings and performances, including Cue and Curtain (student drama club), the glee club, and Debate Club. In 1943, the not yet dedicated auditorium was chosen for the 122nd annual commencement. That same year, team captain Joe Gallagher led the Colonials to the Southern Conference Basketball championship. With the conclusion of the 1943 season, varsity sports would not be resumed until the conclusion of the war.
GW contributed greatly to the war effort. By the end of the conflict, the University had sent some 7,000 students off to war, contracted with the U.S. government to develop rockets for use by the Army and Navy, and developed training courses for over 12,000 students.
Dr. Lloyd Hartman Elliott became University President during the turbulent years of the Vietnam Era and student protests. By the end of his tenure, Dr. Elliott had brought to the University financial stability and continued growth through academic development and his many building programs.
As Dr. Elliott considered libraries to be the backbone of any campus, his proudest achievement was the building of the three libraries currently on campus: Melvin Gelman Library, Jacob Burns Law Library, and Paul Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library. In addition, Dr. Elliott oversaw the construction and opening of the Academic Center, Funger Hall, The Charles E. Smith Center for Physical Education and Athletics, and the Cloyd Heck Marvin Student Center.
1973 was a landmark year for the University. GW's medical training program was moved from 13th and H Streets to the Walter G. Ross Hall. With the relocation of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the University was located in one central area for the first time.
Dr. Elliott began the Educational Opportunity Program and created the new faculty rank of "University Professor". He also increased the number of endowed professorships from three to 20 and greatly increased the university's endowment.
On August 1, 1988, Stephen Joel Trachtenberg became the 15th President of The George Washington University. In his convocation address at his installation, President Trachtenberg recognized the many accomplishments of the University and those who preceded him, and alluded to GW's future.
In 1989, President Trachtenberg created the Office of Campus Life and made the commitment to offer programs and services "to enhance the personal, professional, social and cultural development of the University community." Other accomplishments include the remodeling of Lisner Auditorium and the campus bookstore, new seating for the Smith Center, the development of Francis Field for GW Athletics, and the creation of a 24-hour reading room within Gelman Library.
President Trachtenberg has affirmed his commitment to the importance of teaching at the University with the establishment of the University Teaching Center. He also created the 21st Century Scholars program, allowing high school students within the District of Columbia to attend the University and participate in aspects of campus life. A significant project at GW was inaugurated on June 22, 1990 with the ground breaking of the first building of GW's Northern Virginia Campus, located east of Leesburg, VA. The facility was completed in 1991. Also, in 1996, the first residence hall to be constructed (all others were purchased) since Strong Hall, in 1939, was begun.
Between August 28, 1995, and May 19, 1996, the University celebrated its 175th Anniversary.To commemorate this special occasion, symposia, conferences, exhibitions and performances were held. On February 9th, 1996, Charter Day/ Homecoming weekend, the University held a special convocation and a birthday gala at historic Union Station. In 1996, a new photographic history of the University entitled From Strength to Strength was published.
In its 176th year new gates, marking the entrance to the Gelman Yard on both 21st and 22nd Streets, NW, were constructed, as was a new park on F Street. A new residence hall at 2350 H Street was opened. The academic resources of the University were built up as well, as a major Judaica Collection was given to Gelman Library by the Kiev family In addition, the reputation of our academic institution grew as noted by GW's first-ever ranking in the "Top 50 Colleges and Universities" by U.S. News and World Report.
In 1996 Mount Vernon College announced plans to affiliate the 121-year-old women's college with The George Washington University. By the fall of 1998 the first class of George Washington freshmen women began classes on the Mount Vernon campus as part of the new The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College. In May 1999 the last Mount Vernon College class graduated and on June 30 the campus officially became The George Washington University at Mount Vernon College, offering special living, learning and leadership programs for women of the George Washington University.
President Trachtenberg's tenure added many new facilities to the University, increased academic excellence and greatly increased the endowment of the University. He retired as GW President July 31, 2007.
Dr. Steven Knapp became the sixteenth President of The George Washington University on August 1, 2007.
For more information about GW history
Contact:
Special Collections Research Center [1]
The Melvin Gelman Library [2]
The George Washington University [3]
2130 H Street, NW Suite 704
Washington, DC 20052
202-994-7549
mailto:archives@gwu.edu
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