Georgetown University

01/23/2025

in 1789, John Carroll founded Georgetown University. As we celebrate our 236th birthday, take a look at the Hilltop over the years. 🎂

Photo 1: Healy Hall in 1879
Photo 2: Healy Hall in 2025

01/22/2025

On Sunday, Jan. 12, Georgetown Catholic Ministry celebrated the Rite of Welcome and Acceptance during Mass in Dahlgren Chapel for this year’s Rite of Christian Initiation Adults (RCIA) students. Through prayer, study, reflection and faith sharing, RCIA is a process of spiritual formation in which students explore the teachings, rituals and practices of the Catholic Church.

During this special Rite, the Georgetown Catholic community formally welcomed these students who are preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church through the sacraments of initiation - baptism, eucharist and confirmation. These students will receive these sacraments at the Easter Vigil this year in Dahlgren Chapel.

01/20/2025

For Inauguration Day today, we look back on how Georgetown students, faculty and staff have been a part of presidential inaugurations throughout U.S. history.

Photos 1+2: Several former Georgetown Presidents were asked to serve on inauguration committees, including Rev. Alphonsus J. Donlon, SJ, for President Woodrow Wilson (1917), and Rev. J. Himmel, SJ, for President William Howard Taft (1909).

Photo 3: In 1929, the Georgetown ROTC took part in the inaugural parade for President Herbert Hoover.

Photos 4+5: In 1953, Georgetown hosted an Inaugural Ball for President Dwight D. Eisenhower on campus at the McDonough Gymnasium.

Photos 6+7: After being elected President in 1992, Bill Clinton (SFS'68) returned to Georgetown to speak from the steps of Old North for an address to the Diplomatic Corp during 1993 pre-inauguration activities in the District.

Photo 8: Students joined inauguration activities on the National Mall to support alumnus Bill Clinton at his second inauguration in 1997.

Photo 9: In 2021, Georgetown President Emeritus Rev. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J. (C’56) offered the invocation at the Inauguration of President Joe Biden.

01/20/2025

Last night, Georgetown University honored Paula Thompson, president of Voices for a Second Chance, a nonprofit that helps incarcerated and newly released individuals rebuild their lives, with the 2025 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award at The Kennedy Center.

The Legacy of a Dream Award identifies emerging leaders who are working to solve key issues in Washington, DC. Georgetown established the award to deepen its engagement within the city and recognize the award’s namesake, John Thompson Jr., the legendary Georgetown head basketball coach emeritus, social justice advocate and DC native.

Paula Thompson received the award as part of the 21st Let Freedom Ring Celebration, an annual event hosted by Georgetown and the Kennedy Center that honors Dr. King’s life and legacy.

This year’s celebration featured a musical performance by Christopher Jackson, a Grammy-Award-winning composer who starred as George Washington in the musical Hamilton; esperanza spalding, a Grammy-award-winning jazz singer and producer; and the NEWorks Voices of America and NEWorks House Band. Actor Taye Diggs, known for his role in the musical Rent, hosted the event.

Full story: https://bit.ly/4jpd3Ik
📸: Elman Studio

01/20/2025

Live Tonight on Millennium Stage: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a free, ticketed musical tribute, the Let Freedom Ring Celebration. The annual program, part of the Center’s Millennium Stage performance series, will feature musical performances by Christopher Jackson, esperanza spalding, Chelsey Green, Lew Sid, along with the NEWorks Voices of America and NEWorks House Band, led by music producer Nolan Williams Jr. The event is hosted by Taye Diggs.

The event will occur on Sunday, January 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.

Georgetown University will present the annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award to Paula C. Thompson of Voices for a Second Chance. Voices for a Second Chance (VSC) provides essential reentry support and resources to individuals navigating the complexities of incarceration and reintegration. With a mission centered on empowering justice-involved individuals and fostering family and community connections, VSC has become a vital lifeline for over 2,000 individuals annually. The award is given by Georgetown University to a local individual who exemplifies the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information about the Legacy of a Dream Award, please visit: https://www.georgetown.edu/mlk-initiative/

01/16/2025

After our community bid farewell to the Red Square Willow Oak Tree in November of last year, a Beech Tree, originally planted on the east side of Healy Hall, was relocated to the cherished spot in Red Square during Winter Break.

This Beech Tree, which was planted on the Hilltop almost 10 years ago, is already a symbol of strength and resilience, standing as a testament to endurance and growth. We look forward to many days in the future where students gather under its shade on sunny afternoons, finding inspiration, solace and connection beneath its steadfast branches.

01/15/2025

Snow scenes on the Hilltop ❄️

01/14/2025

The Georgetown University men's basketball team will be back in action on Tuesday, January 14 as the Hoyas face the St. John's University Red Storm at Madison Square Garden.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the World's Most Famous Arena and the game will be broadcast on Peacock.

WASHINGTON – The Georgetown University men's basketball team will be back in action on Tuesday, January 14 as the Hoyas face the St. John's University Red Storm at Madison Square Garden. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at the World's Most Famous Arena and the game will be broadcast on Peacock. T...

01/13/2025

Yi Song (L’10) first visited Georgetown as a 22-year-old exchange student. Now she helps international law students build fulfilling careers, just as she has.

Yi Song first visited Georgetown as a exchange student. Now she helps international law students build fulfilling careers, just as she has.

01/10/2025

The key to happiness is simpler than we think.

Helping others — even tiny acts of kindness — makes us happier, says Abigail Marsh, a professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience who studies altruism.

Helping others — even tiny acts of kindness — makes us happier, says Abigail Marsh, a neuroscientist who studies altruism.

01/08/2025

Happy first day of classes, Hoyas! 🐶 📚 💙

01/07/2025

HOYAlert: GU campuses in DC Open w/Liberal Leave/Instructional Continuity on 01/08/2025. Emergency employees report on time. Check email.

01/07/2025

Georgetown continues its advocacy for the release of Austin Tice (SFS’02, L’13), an alumnus who has been captive in Syria for over 12 years.

After the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in early December, there is renewed hope that Tice will be reunited with his family. In a news conference on Dec. 6, Tice’s parents, Debra and Marc Tice, said they had information that their son was alive and cared for.

Tice had just finished his second year at Georgetown Law in 2012 when he spent his summer working as a freelance photojournalist in Syria reporting on the country’s civil war for organizations including the McClatchy Company, the Washington Post and CBS. He disappeared in August 2012, and the U.S. government said he was held captive by the Syrian government.

Georgetown first joined the Tice family in advocacy efforts in 2015. Since then, university leaders have worked through federal relations channels to connect the Tice family with policymakers and key government stakeholders. Georgetown schools, programs and students have also continued to raise awareness for Tice’s case.

Over the years, Georgetown has advocated for the release of Austin Tice (SFS'02, L'13), who has been captive in Syria since 2012.

01/07/2025

Georgetown leaders welcome the appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy, former bishop of San Diego, as the new leader of the Archdiocese of Washington.

Pope Francis appointed McElroy, a pastoral leader known for his advocacy on inclusion, immigration and issues related to the Catholic Church and public life, as archbishop on Jan. 6, the Vatican announced.

McElroy, who has a Ph.D. in political science, will lead more than half a million Catholics in the nation’s capital and surrounding Maryland counties — an archdiocese that includes three Catholic universities: Georgetown University, Catholic University and Trinity Washington University.

Georgetown leaders welcome the appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy, former bishop of San Diego, as the new leader of the archdiocese.

01/06/2025

HOYAlert: GU campuses in DC will OPEN at 11 AM on 01/07/2025. Instructional continuity/liberal leave in effect. Emergency emp report on time. Check email.

01/06/2025

Twenty-eight Hoyas were sworn into the 119th U.S. Congress on Jan. 3, continuing Georgetown’s long legacy of producing leaders and public servants.

Hoyas in the 119th Congress include 21 representatives and seven U.S. senators who represent 18 states and the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which have non-voting delegates. They also include faculty and alumni from nearly all of Georgetown’s schools, including 12 faculty and alumni from Georgetown Law and nine alumni from the School of Foreign Service. https://bit.ly/4adgspl

01/05/2025

HOYAlert: GU campuses in DC CLOSED w/Instructional Continuity 01/06/2025. Remote learning continues. Emergency employees report on time. Check email.

01/02/2025

"Life as an ROTC cadet is a bit different than normal college life and involves long days. On top of ROTC, I am a member of the Georgetown University Dance Company and the club climbing team. I also work part-time for the Army Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Task Force."

Annabelle Black (SFS‘25) is a senior in the School of Foreign Service, studying international politics with a concentration in security, a minor in Spanish and a certificate in diplomatic studies. She is currently the cadet command sergeant major of the Hoya Battalion and is a distinguished military graduate.

This story is from the Student Life Blog.

Annabelle Black (SFS‘25) has always had a role model in her dad, who taught her to serve something bigger than herself. That's why she chose Georgetown and its Army ROTC program.