WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.760 Welcome back to the Deep Dives. Today, we are 00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:03.640 taking you right into the heart of Washington, 00:00:03.819 --> 00:00:07.219 D .C. But we're focusing our lens not on, you 00:00:07.219 --> 00:00:09.599 know, the White House or Congress, but on the 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:12.019 intellectual engine that really feeds them both. 00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:14.939 We're doing a deep dive into Georgetown University. 00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:17.620 That's right. And when most people hear Georgetown, 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:20.100 they they instantly think of politics, right? 00:00:20.179 --> 00:00:22.500 They think of the historic neighborhood, maybe 00:00:22.500 --> 00:00:25.559 the iconic Healy Hall architecture. They see 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:27.960 this pipeline to power. But what they might be 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:31.309 missing is. the profound and, I mean, often very 00:00:31.309 --> 00:00:34.490 contradictory identity of this institution. So 00:00:34.490 --> 00:00:37.109 our mission today is to go far beyond the glossy 00:00:37.109 --> 00:00:39.350 brochures, beyond the standard rankings. We are 00:00:39.350 --> 00:00:41.250 going to unpack the complexity of Georgetown, 00:00:41.590 --> 00:00:44.090 the oldest Catholic institution in the U .S., 00:00:44.090 --> 00:00:47.549 founded by Jesuits. Yet it operates as this hyper 00:00:47.549 --> 00:00:49.990 -secular, politically charged global research 00:00:49.990 --> 00:00:53.049 powerhouse. And yes, an institution whose survival, 00:00:53.350 --> 00:00:55.869 its historical survival, was directly tied to 00:00:55.869 --> 00:00:58.409 the horrific business of slavery. Right. And 00:00:58.409 --> 00:01:00.170 the central tension we really want to explore 00:01:00.170 --> 00:01:02.869 for you, the listener, is this. How does a foundation 00:01:02.869 --> 00:01:06.450 built on faith, on resilience, and frankly, on 00:01:06.450 --> 00:01:08.950 historical compromise, how does that coexist 00:01:08.950 --> 00:01:12.109 with the demands of 21st century global influence 00:01:12.109 --> 00:01:15.930 and modern activism? We promise an aha moment 00:01:15.930 --> 00:01:18.250 here that tracks the university's story from 00:01:18.250 --> 00:01:21.590 18th century clandestine education right through 00:01:21.590 --> 00:01:23.730 the Civil War and up to its explosive modern 00:01:23.730 --> 00:01:26.569 expansion with campuses stretching from D .C. 00:01:26.609 --> 00:01:30.489 to Doha, Qatar, and now Jakarta, Indonesia. OK, 00:01:30.590 --> 00:01:32.420 so let's start with the. basics, the essential 00:01:32.420 --> 00:01:34.659 facts that form the bedrock of what they call 00:01:34.659 --> 00:01:37.719 the Hoya identity. What defines this place? Well, 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:40.299 officially, Georgetown is a private Jesuit research 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:43.219 university, and it carries the highest designation 00:01:43.219 --> 00:01:45.280 for research activity in the U .S. It's called 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:48.159 R1, doctoral universities, very high research 00:01:48.159 --> 00:01:50.319 activity. And that R1 status, just to be clear, 00:01:50.359 --> 00:01:51.939 that's a huge deal, right? It means they aren't 00:01:51.939 --> 00:01:54.299 just teaching, they're actively generating massive 00:01:54.299 --> 00:01:56.400 amounts of new knowledge across so many fields. 00:01:56.579 --> 00:02:00.180 Absolutely. And its pedigree is, by American 00:02:00.180 --> 00:02:10.379 standards, And the founder was Bishop John Carroll, 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:12.960 who was, I mean, he was the man appointed as 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:14.479 the first head of the Catholic Church in the 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.759 newly formed United States. Exactly. And that 00:02:16.759 --> 00:02:19.240 founding wasn't just significant for its religious 00:02:19.240 --> 00:02:21.819 role. Critically, Georgetown holds this dual 00:02:21.819 --> 00:02:24.439 distinction. It's the oldest Catholic institution 00:02:24.439 --> 00:02:27.539 of higher education in the U .S. and the nation's 00:02:27.539 --> 00:02:30.400 first. federally chartered university. The first. 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:32.860 So that federal charter, that was signed by President 00:02:32.860 --> 00:02:36.060 James Madison in 1815. So that officially gave 00:02:36.060 --> 00:02:38.319 it the right to confer degrees. That direct, 00:02:38.460 --> 00:02:40.060 I mean, that structural connection to the federal 00:02:40.060 --> 00:02:42.479 government is literally woven into its founding 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:45.259 legal DNA. It is. And the university motto seems 00:02:45.259 --> 00:02:48.000 to perfectly capture this inherent duality, this 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:50.379 tension that defines its whole history. It's 00:02:50.379 --> 00:02:53.780 Latin, of course, utrac unum. Utrac unum, which 00:02:53.780 --> 00:02:58.080 means... It means simply both into one. It's 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.039 the perfect phrase for an institution that is 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.280 constantly having to reconcile these warring 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.860 concepts. You know, faith and politics, tradition 00:03:04.860 --> 00:03:06.960 and radical modernity, North and South during 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:10.620 the Civil War. And today I'd say global wealth 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:13.280 and Jesuit ideals. We're going to come back to 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:15.360 this idea again and again. So the scale of the 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.319 university today, I mean, it just reflects this 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:19.560 immense ambition. Just look at the finances and 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:22.039 the scope. The institution has a really robust 00:03:22.039 --> 00:03:24.879 endowment. As of recent data, it sits near $4 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:29.280 billion. To be specific, $3 .95 billion as of 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:33.039 2025. And this financial muscle supports a massive 00:03:33.039 --> 00:03:35.919 internationally focused student body. Huge. The 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.360 total enrollment is over 20 ,000 students. And 00:03:38.360 --> 00:03:42.620 that's split between 7 ,833 undergraduates and 00:03:42.620 --> 00:03:45.680 12 ,198 postgraduates. So it's heavily weighted 00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:47.639 toward grad students. And it's truly a global 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:50.500 magnet. It draws students from over 135 countries 00:03:50.500 --> 00:03:52.789 worldwide. This is not a regional. College. This 00:03:52.789 --> 00:03:54.689 is a global platform. Okay, let's unpack this 00:03:54.689 --> 00:03:56.669 history, because the story of Georgetown's founding 00:03:56.669 --> 00:03:59.610 is so much more complex than just a simple date. 00:03:59.750 --> 00:04:02.050 It's a story of resilience, really, born from 00:04:02.050 --> 00:04:04.419 suppression. It really is. It starts in the 17th 00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:06.680 century. The Jesuit settlers, they originally 00:04:06.680 --> 00:04:08.919 founded the province of Maryland back in 1634, 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.099 and they established a religious and educational 00:04:12.099 --> 00:04:14.699 presence pretty much right away. But that presence, 00:04:14.819 --> 00:04:17.060 it came under immediate threat. So the moment 00:04:17.060 --> 00:04:18.959 the Royalists were defeated in the English Civil 00:04:18.959 --> 00:04:22.620 War, that was 1646, these really stringent laws 00:04:22.620 --> 00:04:25.420 came into effect. The penal laws, they forced 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:27.720 Jesuits to conduct Catholic education, which 00:04:27.720 --> 00:04:30.519 was crucial to their mission, entirely in secret. 00:04:31.349 --> 00:04:34.129 And you have to think about that context. For 00:04:34.129 --> 00:04:36.910 over a century, Catholic education couldn't operate 00:04:36.910 --> 00:04:39.670 openly in Maryland. They had to teach in secret, 00:04:39.769 --> 00:04:42.189 passing on knowledge and faith away from the 00:04:42.189 --> 00:04:45.170 gaze of the authorities. The official establishment 00:04:45.170 --> 00:04:48.009 of Georgetown was a direct result of the American 00:04:48.009 --> 00:04:50.329 Revolution finally granting religious freedom 00:04:50.329 --> 00:04:52.649 and allowing John Carroll to organize the Catholic 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:55.470 Church openly. And Carroll was just, he was relentless. 00:04:55.769 --> 00:04:58.269 Even though the worldwide papal suppression of 00:04:58.269 --> 00:04:59.930 the Jesuit order was still active during the 00:04:59.930 --> 00:05:02.240 late 18th century, century, he just pushed forward. 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:04.519 He saw the need for a Catholic institution that 00:05:04.519 --> 00:05:07.040 could thrive in this new republic. So he finalized 00:05:07.040 --> 00:05:09.000 the property purchase right there in the Georgetown 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:12.290 neighborhood in January 1789. And the precision 00:05:12.290 --> 00:05:14.250 of the records for that era is just amazing. 00:05:14.629 --> 00:05:17.290 We know that instruction began officially on 00:05:17.290 --> 00:05:20.970 January 2nd, 1792, and the first recorded student 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:23.870 was a young man named William Gaston, who enrolled 00:05:23.870 --> 00:05:27.709 on November 22nd, 1791. But these early days, 00:05:27.910 --> 00:05:29.629 you know, they cemented the foundation, but the 00:05:29.629 --> 00:05:32.170 college almost immediately ran into serious financial 00:05:32.170 --> 00:05:34.589 trouble. And that 19th century was just marked 00:05:34.589 --> 00:05:36.930 by incredible stress. I mean, massive challenges 00:05:36.930 --> 00:05:39.189 directly related to the new nation's growing 00:05:39.189 --> 00:05:41.259 pains, especially the financial. instability. 00:05:41.720 --> 00:05:43.939 That's absolutely right. The school was constantly 00:05:43.939 --> 00:05:45.779 under considerable financial strain in those 00:05:45.779 --> 00:05:48.540 early years. It relied heavily on private funding 00:05:48.540 --> 00:05:51.220 and, you know, whatever limited profits they 00:05:51.220 --> 00:05:52.620 could squeeze out of the lands that had been 00:05:52.620 --> 00:05:55.959 donated to the Jesuit community. And this perpetual 00:05:55.959 --> 00:05:58.480 financial pressure, this is what led to what 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.800 is arguably the most morally fraught event in 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:04.240 Georgetown's history, the 1838 slave sale. Right. 00:06:04.319 --> 00:06:06.740 And this detail is so crucial for understanding 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:09.449 the history of the university's survival. In 00:06:09.449 --> 00:06:11.889 1838, the Maryland Jesuits, who were responsible 00:06:11.889 --> 00:06:14.069 for funding Georgetown and other regional schools, 00:06:14.329 --> 00:06:17.560 they conducted this mass sale. A mass sale. The 00:06:17.560 --> 00:06:21.339 sale involved roughly 272 enslaved people, men, 00:06:21.500 --> 00:06:24.100 women, and children. And the transaction sent 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:26.980 them down to two Deep South plantations in Maringouin, 00:06:26.980 --> 00:06:30.019 Louisiana. This sale, it raised desperately needed 00:06:30.019 --> 00:06:32.199 capital funds that were necessary for the survival 00:06:32.199 --> 00:06:34.019 and expansion of the Young College. And this 00:06:34.019 --> 00:06:36.360 act, it simultaneously ended the Jesuit Order 00:06:36.360 --> 00:06:38.939 slaveholding in Maryland, but only by consigning 00:06:38.939 --> 00:06:41.060 hundreds of people to the brutal conditions of 00:06:41.060 --> 00:06:43.560 Deep South plantation slavery. It's a haunting, 00:06:43.620 --> 00:06:46.519 dark legacy. And it's one the university is still 00:06:46.519 --> 00:06:48.639 actively grappling with today through reconciliation 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:52.000 efforts and dialogue with descendants. Yes. And 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:55.040 then less than two decades after that, that morally 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:58.269 catastrophic event. The Civil War erupts, and 00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:01.089 it tears the nation and the student body completely 00:07:01.089 --> 00:07:05.009 apart. The impact on the hilltop was immediate 00:07:05.009 --> 00:07:07.290 and just enormous. The numbers are staggering 00:07:07.290 --> 00:07:10.410 for a college of that size at the time. 1 ,141 00:07:10.410 --> 00:07:13.449 students and alumni enlisted on both sides of 00:07:13.449 --> 00:07:15.629 the conflict union and Confederates. And the 00:07:15.629 --> 00:07:17.990 war didn't just affect the alumni. It physically 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:21.629 came to the campus. The Union Army actually commandeered 00:07:21.629 --> 00:07:23.670 several university buildings. They used them 00:07:23.670 --> 00:07:25.670 as temporary quarters for troops positioned to 00:07:25.670 --> 00:07:27.870 defend Washington, D .C. You had the most powerful 00:07:27.870 --> 00:07:29.750 man in the country visiting. Yeah. President 00:07:29.750 --> 00:07:32.089 Abraham Lincoln himself visited the campus in 00:07:32.089 --> 00:07:35.589 May of 1861 and found 1 ,400 troops living there. 00:07:35.670 --> 00:07:37.269 That must have just fundamentally altered the 00:07:37.269 --> 00:07:39.470 atmosphere and the entire operation of the college 00:07:39.470 --> 00:07:41.709 overnight. Oh, it did. The loss of life and the 00:07:41.709 --> 00:07:43.569 general disruption, it meant that after the war, 00:07:43.689 --> 00:07:47.389 enrollment just plummeted severely. In 1869, 00:07:47.509 --> 00:07:50.660 only seven students graduated. Seven. Seven. 00:07:50.939 --> 00:07:53.519 Compare that to over 300 students graduating 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:56.240 annually in the decade before that. It was truly 00:07:56.240 --> 00:07:58.839 a crisis of survival, and the school needed to 00:07:58.839 --> 00:08:01.519 heal. And the method they chose to symbolize 00:08:01.519 --> 00:08:04.439 that healing, it speaks directly back to that 00:08:04.439 --> 00:08:06.819 motto we mentioned, utrac unum, oath into one. 00:08:07.019 --> 00:08:10.720 Yes. In 1876, at this incredibly symbolic gesture, 00:08:10.980 --> 00:08:14.160 the Georgetown College Boat Club the rowing team, 00:08:14.339 --> 00:08:17.220 adopted the school colors, blue representing 00:08:17.220 --> 00:08:20.360 the Union and gray representing the Confederacy. 00:08:20.620 --> 00:08:23.819 It was an explicit physical representation of 00:08:23.819 --> 00:08:26.579 trying to forge some kind of peaceful coexistence 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:28.740 among students who had fought and suffered on 00:08:28.740 --> 00:08:30.879 opposite sides of the deadliest conflict in U 00:08:30.879 --> 00:08:33.539 .S. history. So the post -war recovery, however, 00:08:33.740 --> 00:08:35.779 it's inseparable from the man often called the 00:08:35.779 --> 00:08:38.669 second founder, Patrick Francis Healy. And his 00:08:38.669 --> 00:08:40.870 story is one of the most compelling and complex 00:08:40.870 --> 00:08:43.570 in American higher education. It really is. Healy 00:08:43.570 --> 00:08:46.870 served as president from 1873 to 1881, and he 00:08:46.870 --> 00:08:49.070 truly rescued the school from that post -Civil 00:08:49.070 --> 00:08:51.370 War slump. He's the one who transitioned it from 00:08:51.370 --> 00:08:53.990 a small, struggling college into a modern university 00:08:53.990 --> 00:08:56.690 structure. But what stands out and what requires 00:08:56.690 --> 00:08:58.929 us to just pause and reflect is his personal 00:08:58.929 --> 00:09:01.990 history. Healy was born enslaved by law in Athens, 00:09:02.190 --> 00:09:05.870 Georgia, in 1834. His father was a white Irish 00:09:05.870 --> 00:09:08.509 immigrant plantation owner, and his mother was 00:09:08.509 --> 00:09:11.169 a mixed -race slave. So though he was of African 00:09:11.169 --> 00:09:13.649 descent by ancestry, he was educated abroad, 00:09:13.809 --> 00:09:16.169 and he identified fully as Irish Catholic. And 00:09:16.169 --> 00:09:18.210 he was accepted as white in Catholic and European 00:09:18.210 --> 00:09:20.750 society at the time. That identity is just a 00:09:20.750 --> 00:09:23.210 profound contradiction woven right into the fabric 00:09:23.210 --> 00:09:25.669 of the university. Here you have a man born into 00:09:25.669 --> 00:09:28.250 the brutal reality of Southern slavery, the very 00:09:28.250 --> 00:09:30.990 system that partially funded the early college. 00:09:31.210 --> 00:09:33.330 And he went on to become the first person of 00:09:33.330 --> 00:09:35.590 African descent to head a predominantly white 00:09:35.590 --> 00:09:38.549 American university. Even if that identity was 00:09:38.549 --> 00:09:41.309 suppressed or unacknowledged by the public at 00:09:41.309 --> 00:09:43.970 the time, this transformation from property to 00:09:43.970 --> 00:09:46.129 proprietor in one generation, it just speaks 00:09:46.129 --> 00:09:49.250 volumes about the incredible contradiction. embedded 00:09:49.250 --> 00:09:52.210 in Georgetown's founding story. And his legacy 00:09:52.210 --> 00:09:54.269 is physical, too. He wasn't just a figurehead. 00:09:54.350 --> 00:09:57.210 He actively and fundamentally reformed the entire 00:09:57.210 --> 00:10:00.690 institution. He's credited with completely overhauling 00:10:00.690 --> 00:10:03.710 the undergraduate curriculum, significantly lengthening 00:10:03.710 --> 00:10:06.049 the medical and law programs to meet modern professional 00:10:06.049 --> 00:10:08.750 standards, and formally establishing the Alumni 00:10:08.750 --> 00:10:11.320 Association. And of course, the most visible 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:14.820 testament to his vision is Healy Hall. He oversaw 00:10:14.820 --> 00:10:17.059 the construction of that massive neo -medieval 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:20.840 Gothic structure between 1877 and 1879. That 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:23.860 building defines the campus skyline today. It 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:26.039 is the physical representation of his ambition 00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:28.399 to elevate Georgetown from a regional college 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:32.019 to a major national university. That title, second 00:10:32.019 --> 00:10:34.740 founder, is entirely warranted. He brought the 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:37.600 institution into the modern academic era. So 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:39.620 that foundation of resilience and ambition, it 00:10:39.620 --> 00:10:41.559 really set the stage for Georgetown's development 00:10:41.559 --> 00:10:43.799 into the complex academic structure it is today. 00:10:44.059 --> 00:10:46.220 Right now, it's composed of 11 undergraduate 00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:49.019 and graduate schools, all highly specialized, 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:51.200 particularly in areas relevant to D .C. life. 00:10:51.519 --> 00:10:53.240 Right. You see this natural evolution that's 00:10:53.240 --> 00:10:55.870 tied directly to the city. The College of Arts 00:10:55.870 --> 00:10:58.429 and Sciences, established in 1789, that's the 00:10:58.429 --> 00:11:01.129 historical core. But very quickly, professional 00:11:01.129 --> 00:11:04.009 schools followed the growth of the nation. The 00:11:04.009 --> 00:11:06.750 School of Medicine in 1851, the Law Center in 00:11:06.750 --> 00:11:09.789 1870. And the university has also adapted by 00:11:09.789 --> 00:11:11.809 dissolving schools that were no longer as relevant 00:11:11.809 --> 00:11:13.809 to its mission, like dentistry, which closed 00:11:13.809 --> 00:11:16.649 in 1990, and languages and linguistics, which 00:11:16.649 --> 00:11:19.330 dissolved in 1994. But the school that truly 00:11:19.330 --> 00:11:22.070 defined Georgetown's global reputation, the one 00:11:22.070 --> 00:11:24.269 that makes it synonymous with diplomacy, has 00:11:24.269 --> 00:11:26.190 to be. to be the Walsh School of Foreign Service, 00:11:26.370 --> 00:11:29.169 the SFS. Oh, the SFS was a massive game changer. 00:11:29.330 --> 00:11:32.190 It was founded in 1919 by Edmund A. Walsh. And 00:11:32.190 --> 00:11:34.389 think about the timing there. 1919, right after 00:11:34.389 --> 00:11:37.429 World War I, the U .S. was shifting from an isolationist 00:11:37.429 --> 00:11:40.389 power to an emerging global superpower. And Walsh 00:11:40.389 --> 00:11:42.250 explicitly founded the school to prepare students 00:11:42.250 --> 00:11:44.289 for leadership roles in diplomacy and foreign 00:11:44.289 --> 00:11:47.169 commerce. It immediately tied the university's 00:11:47.169 --> 00:11:49.070 academic mission to the critical needs of the 00:11:49.070 --> 00:11:50.730 federal government and international affairs. 00:11:51.070 --> 00:11:52.789 And they continued to structure their offerings 00:11:52.789 --> 00:11:55.480 to meet the capital's needs. The business program, 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:58.159 which began as part of the SFS, it eventually 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:01.120 separated in 1957, and that became the McDonough 00:12:01.120 --> 00:12:04.519 School of Business, or MSB, in 1998. And on a 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:06.159 separate note about academic evolution, it's 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.120 interesting to look at the gender changes. The 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:10.360 university didn't become fully coeducational 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:12.860 until the College of Arts and Sciences admitted 00:12:12.860 --> 00:12:16.080 female students during the 1969 -1970 academic 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:18.559 year. However, the professional schools often 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:20.620 led the way. The School of Nursing, for example, 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:22.659 had admitted women since its founding in 1903, 00:12:22.940 --> 00:12:25.679 which really reflects a trend across many older, 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:28.899 formerly all -male institutions. So we've established 00:12:28.899 --> 00:12:32.259 this as an elite -focused institution. But just 00:12:32.259 --> 00:12:35.200 how difficult is it to get into this highly selective 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:37.799 machine? It is extremely difficult. U .S. News 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.720 & World Report consistently deems Georgetown 00:12:39.720 --> 00:12:43.259 most selective. And the undergraduate data for 00:12:43.259 --> 00:12:45.740 the class of 2025 gives us a very clear picture. 00:12:45.860 --> 00:12:49.600 They received 27 ,650 applications and only admitted 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.159 11 .7 % of those applicants. Wow. Let's put those 00:12:53.159 --> 00:12:55.340 numbers in context for you, the listener. That 00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:57.940 means for every nine students who apply, only 00:12:57.940 --> 00:13:00.179 one gets in. And the students who are accepted 00:13:00.179 --> 00:13:02.759 are statistically at the very, very top of their 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:06.340 classes. Precisely. 87 % of admitted students 00:13:06.340 --> 00:13:08.600 were in the top 10 % of their high school class. 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:11.450 And if we look at standardized testing, the mid 00:13:11.450 --> 00:13:14.429 -50 % range for the SAT evidence -based writing 00:13:14.429 --> 00:13:17.870 and writing was 700 to 700 die. For math, it 00:13:17.870 --> 00:13:21.950 was 690 to 780. These metrics place Georgetown 00:13:21.950 --> 00:13:24.210 firmly in competition with the most prestigious 00:13:24.210 --> 00:13:26.990 academic institutions in the United States. And 00:13:26.990 --> 00:13:29.210 the selectivity doesn't ease up at the graduate 00:13:29.210 --> 00:13:31.769 level. In fact, it seems to tighten. Oh, it tightens. 00:13:31.850 --> 00:13:34.169 The graduate schools are hyper -selective, particularly 00:13:34.169 --> 00:13:36.629 the medical school, which reported an astonishing 00:13:36.629 --> 00:13:40.429 2 .8 % acceptance rate. The law center, a top 00:13:40.429 --> 00:13:43.929 -tier school, admits only 12 .9%. Even the Master 00:13:43.929 --> 00:13:46.129 of Science in Foreign Service program, the MSFS, 00:13:46.350 --> 00:13:49.590 sits at a 25 % admit rate. These numbers, they 00:13:49.590 --> 00:13:51.629 just underscore the institution's desire not 00:13:51.629 --> 00:13:53.889 just for intelligence, but for demonstrated excellence 00:13:53.889 --> 00:13:56.950 in very focused fields. And the rankings reflect 00:13:56.950 --> 00:14:00.100 that intense focus on specialization. They aren't 00:14:00.100 --> 00:14:02.759 just generally good. They are world leading in 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:05.120 certain areas. In international affairs, the 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:08.440 SFS is peerless. Their international relations 00:14:08.440 --> 00:14:11.100 masters and bachelor's programs were ranked first 00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:14.460 in the world in 2024 by foreign policy. I mean, 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:16.899 if you are seeking to train for global leadership, 00:14:17.220 --> 00:14:19.860 this is the gold standard. And on the legal side, 00:14:20.100 --> 00:14:23.379 the Law Center is highly ranked, 14th overall 00:14:23.379 --> 00:14:26.350 in the U .S. But its real strength is in these 00:14:26.350 --> 00:14:29.649 specific subfields. Exactly. It ranks first in 00:14:29.649 --> 00:14:31.850 clinical training and part -time law, second 00:14:31.850 --> 00:14:35.009 in tax law, and third in international law. This 00:14:35.009 --> 00:14:37.529 focus on clinical training in particular means 00:14:37.529 --> 00:14:39.769 that students are not just learning theory. They're 00:14:39.769 --> 00:14:42.190 actively engaging with real world legal practice 00:14:42.190 --> 00:14:44.169 right next door to the Supreme Court and all 00:14:44.169 --> 00:14:46.230 the federal agencies. And we also can't overlook 00:14:46.230 --> 00:14:48.809 the McDonough School of Business. The MSB undergraduate 00:14:48.809 --> 00:14:51.490 program was ranked third in the country by Poets 00:14:51.490 --> 00:14:54.610 and Quants in 2024. The academic power here is 00:14:54.610 --> 00:14:57.429 focused. It's sharp and it's consistently top 00:14:57.429 --> 00:15:00.590 tier in policy, law and business. So shifting 00:15:00.590 --> 00:15:04.009 to that. R1 research status we mentioned. It's 00:15:04.009 --> 00:15:06.529 not just about prestige. It's about generating 00:15:06.529 --> 00:15:09.190 crucial breakthroughs. What are the research 00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:11.830 priorities that define this output? Well, the 00:15:11.830 --> 00:15:14.009 priorities align perfectly with the Jesuit tradition 00:15:14.009 --> 00:15:17.009 in the D .C. environment. Religion and ethics, 00:15:17.210 --> 00:15:20.669 public policy and science, with a really notable 00:15:20.669 --> 00:15:23.850 focus on cancer medicine. For example, the Lombardi 00:15:23.850 --> 00:15:26.789 Comprehensive Cancer Center is famous for pioneering 00:15:26.789 --> 00:15:29.190 work. Yes, the Lombardi Center. They developed 00:15:29.190 --> 00:15:31.870 the breakthrough HPV vaccine for cervical cancer, 00:15:32.009 --> 00:15:34.289 which has had a monumental global health impact. 00:15:34.549 --> 00:15:37.230 They also pioneered the conditionally reprogrammed 00:15:37.230 --> 00:15:40.250 cells, or CRC technology, which is a massive 00:15:40.250 --> 00:15:43.169 step forward in cancer research. In 2019, the 00:15:43.169 --> 00:15:45.590 university's research spending exceeded $240 00:15:45.590 --> 00:15:48.590 million, with a large component coming from federal 00:15:48.590 --> 00:15:50.789 funding, that reciprocal relationship with the 00:15:50.789 --> 00:15:52.509 government again. And here's where the global 00:15:52.509 --> 00:15:54.809 ambition goes physical, this expansion across 00:15:54.809 --> 00:15:57.490 continents. Georgetown has aggressively moved 00:15:57.490 --> 00:15:59.950 beyond the hilltop, establishing campuses to 00:15:59.950 --> 00:16:02.169 project its influence abroad, especially with 00:16:02.169 --> 00:16:05.149 the SFS Qatar campus. The Qatar campus is fascinating. 00:16:05.470 --> 00:16:08.110 It opened an education city in Doha in 2005. 00:16:09.080 --> 00:16:12.059 And crucially, it offers the exact same Bachelor 00:16:12.059 --> 00:16:14.860 of Science in Foreign Service, the BSFS degree, 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:18.179 as the D .C. campus. It also hosts the Center 00:16:18.179 --> 00:16:20.940 for International and Regional Studies, or CIRs. 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:23.299 This expansion was really driven by the Qatar 00:16:23.299 --> 00:16:25.720 Foundation, and it cemented Georgetown's status 00:16:25.720 --> 00:16:27.779 as a major player in Middle Eastern academic 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:29.940 and policy circles. And the expansion hasn't 00:16:29.940 --> 00:16:32.679 stopped there. In January 2025, the university 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:35.919 launched the SFS Asia -Pacific campus in Jakarta, 00:16:36.019 --> 00:16:38.840 Indonesia. This is clearly a strategy. to extend 00:16:38.840 --> 00:16:40.820 their diplomatic training directly to the future 00:16:40.820 --> 00:16:43.320 policymakers of one of the world's most dynamic 00:16:43.320 --> 00:16:45.559 and critical regions. And they also have other 00:16:45.559 --> 00:16:47.679 facilities supporting their global student body. 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.639 There's Villa La Balls in Fiosole, Italy, which 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:53.179 serves as the stunning study abroad center focused 00:16:53.179 --> 00:16:55.940 on Italian culture, and the McGee Center for 00:16:55.940 --> 00:16:58.279 Eastern Mediterranean Studies in Alanya, Turkey. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:00.860 It's a truly enormous international footprint 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:03.259 that very few other American universities can 00:17:03.259 --> 00:17:05.619 match. But this global reach is not cheap. And 00:17:05.619 --> 00:17:07.359 when we discuss global politics, you have to 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.410 follow... the money trail. We have to talk about 00:17:09.410 --> 00:17:11.910 foreign funding. This is a critical detail in 00:17:11.910 --> 00:17:13.869 understanding Georgetown's financial structure 00:17:13.869 --> 00:17:16.990 and really its global entanglements. Our sources 00:17:16.990 --> 00:17:19.589 show that between 2012 and 2018, Georgetown received 00:17:19.589 --> 00:17:23.809 a massive influx of over $350 million from Gulf 00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.490 Cooperation Council countries. That's Saudi Arabia, 00:17:26.690 --> 00:17:29.789 Qatar, and the UAE. So hundreds of millions of 00:17:29.789 --> 00:17:31.950 dollars flowing directly from foreign governments 00:17:31.950 --> 00:17:34.430 and ruling families into the university's operations 00:17:34.430 --> 00:17:37.509 in specific schools. Yes. And we can point to 00:17:37.509 --> 00:17:41.170 a specific high -profile example. The 2005 gift 00:17:41.170 --> 00:17:44.170 of $20 million from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal 00:17:44.170 --> 00:17:46.829 bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a member of the Saudi 00:17:46.829 --> 00:17:49.529 royal family. This was the second largest donation 00:17:49.529 --> 00:17:51.990 to the university at the time, and it was designated 00:17:51.990 --> 00:17:54.369 to expand the activities of the Prince Alwaleed 00:17:54.369 --> 00:17:56.430 bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding. 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:00.000 they tie the university directly to powerful 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:02.259 international governmental interests, which, 00:18:02.299 --> 00:18:04.579 you know, must inherently affect the geopolitical 00:18:04.579 --> 00:18:06.619 discourse conducted within the walls of SFS. 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:08.680 So we've established that Georgetown is this 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:11.579 complex machine of global politics, finance, 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.099 and elite academics. Now let's dive into the 00:18:15.099 --> 00:18:17.920 profound internal conflict, the core tension 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:20.920 that makes the institution so fascinating. This 00:18:20.920 --> 00:18:23.769 is where that Utracuna motto... truly comes to 00:18:23.769 --> 00:18:26.329 life. It really is. Georgetown constantly attempts 00:18:26.329 --> 00:18:29.190 to balance its devout religious identity rooted 00:18:29.190 --> 00:18:31.569 in the 18th century with the demands of its highly 00:18:31.569 --> 00:18:35.130 secular, politically liberal 21st century clientele 00:18:35.130 --> 00:18:37.250 in the nation's capital. Let's start with that 00:18:37.250 --> 00:18:39.710 Jesuit foundation. Yeah. The university was founded 00:18:39.710 --> 00:18:42.309 in the tradition of Ignatius of Loyola, and it 00:18:42.309 --> 00:18:44.809 remains a key member of the Association of Jesuit 00:18:44.809 --> 00:18:47.849 Colleges and Universities. That history isn't 00:18:47.849 --> 00:18:50.480 just a plaque on a wall. It's structural. It's 00:18:50.480 --> 00:18:53.240 deeply structural. That Catholic presence ensures 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.039 continuity. There are 52 members of the Society 00:18:56.039 --> 00:18:58.400 of Jesus who live on campus working as professors 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.160 or administrators. But most importantly, seven 00:19:01.160 --> 00:19:03.920 Jesuits serve on the 36 -member board of directors. 00:19:04.140 --> 00:19:06.500 That's the body responsible for setting the direction 00:19:06.500 --> 00:19:09.180 and policy of the university. So this guarantees 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:11.480 that the core Jesuit ethos remains part of the 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:14.039 institutional decision -making framework. But 00:19:14.039 --> 00:19:17.059 the administration also, at the same time, promotes 00:19:17.059 --> 00:19:20.170 this radical religious pluralism. something few 00:19:20.170 --> 00:19:22.670 other historical Catholic institutions have matched. 00:19:22.829 --> 00:19:25.329 Absolutely. And this commitment is institutionalized 00:19:25.329 --> 00:19:27.250 through entities like the Berkeley Center for 00:19:27.250 --> 00:19:29.630 Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, founded in 00:19:29.630 --> 00:19:33.049 2006, and also the annual Building Bridges seminar, 00:19:33.210 --> 00:19:36.130 which started back in 2001. These initiatives 00:19:36.130 --> 00:19:38.089 bring together religious leaders from around 00:19:38.089 --> 00:19:40.230 the globe to foster interfaith understanding. 00:19:40.690 --> 00:19:43.309 This emphasis on diversity is a necessity, really, 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:45.630 given the student demographics. According to 00:19:45.630 --> 00:19:48.750 2009 data, only 41 % of students identified as 00:19:48.750 --> 00:19:51.650 castric, with another 22 % identifying as Protestant. 00:19:51.910 --> 00:19:54.029 So the majority of the student body is either 00:19:54.029 --> 00:19:56.490 secular or belongs to other faiths. And Georgetown 00:19:56.490 --> 00:19:58.309 has shown a clear commitment to serving these 00:19:58.309 --> 00:20:00.750 diverse spiritual needs. It employs a full -time 00:20:00.750 --> 00:20:03.230 rabbi, serving a Jewish student population that's 00:20:03.230 --> 00:20:06.609 approximately 6 .5 % of undergraduates. But what's 00:20:06.609 --> 00:20:08.789 truly pioneering is their outreach to the Muslim 00:20:08.789 --> 00:20:11.529 community. Georgetown was the first U .S. college 00:20:11.529 --> 00:20:14.940 to hire a full -time imam. serving over 400 Muslim 00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:18.460 students on campus. And in 2014, they continued 00:20:18.460 --> 00:20:20.880 this path by appointing their first Hindu priest. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.940 This is a clear statement that while the university 00:20:23.940 --> 00:20:26.440 is Catholic, its mission is one of spiritual 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:29.140 pluralism. However, this core Catholic identity, 00:20:29.400 --> 00:20:31.740 it inevitably creates these flashpoints when 00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:34.039 it collides with modern, secular, social, and 00:20:34.039 --> 00:20:36.440 moral norms. These are the moments that truly 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:39.069 test that Uttarakhand imbalance. We can trace 00:20:39.069 --> 00:20:41.289 this conflict back to the physical campus itself 00:20:41.289 --> 00:20:44.849 with the crucifix debate. Between 1996 and 1999, 00:20:45.170 --> 00:20:47.490 the administration made the decision to add crucifixes 00:20:47.490 --> 00:20:50.250 to many classroom walls. Previously, they had 00:20:50.250 --> 00:20:51.829 only been found in the historic parts of the 00:20:51.829 --> 00:20:54.410 campus or the hospital. And this action, which 00:20:54.410 --> 00:20:56.910 seemed like a simple affirmation of Catholic 00:20:56.910 --> 00:20:59.910 identity, it attracted significant national media 00:20:59.910 --> 00:21:02.509 attention and provoked an intense internal debate. 00:21:02.849 --> 00:21:05.269 What's truly fascinating is the cross -cultural 00:21:05.269 --> 00:21:08.430 element. In 2004, when external groups pressured 00:21:08.430 --> 00:21:11.049 the university to remove the crucifixes, the 00:21:11.049 --> 00:21:13.490 school's full -time Muslim cleric, Imam Yahya 00:21:13.490 --> 00:21:16.230 Hindi, actually publicly defended their placement. 00:21:16.680 --> 00:21:19.500 Really? Yes. He argued that the symbol affirmed 00:21:19.500 --> 00:21:22.000 the spiritual nature of the campus, which is 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.680 just a powerful demonstration of interfaith solidarity. 00:21:25.180 --> 00:21:28.500 So the deeper policy tension, that focuses on 00:21:28.500 --> 00:21:31.019 moral issues. For instance, the university maintains 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:33.000 these strict policies that align with Catholic 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.700 teaching. University -owned buildings are prohibited 00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:37.920 from selling or distributing birth control products. 00:21:38.400 --> 00:21:40.380 Right. Furthermore, the Georgetown University 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:43.019 Hospital, though it's operated by MedStar Health, 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:46.240 is prohibited from performing abortions. Yet 00:21:46.240 --> 00:21:49.740 there's a nuance even here. As of 2004, the hospital 00:21:49.740 --> 00:21:51.960 was permitted to perform embryonic stem cell 00:21:51.960 --> 00:21:54.259 research, showing that the ethical lines the 00:21:54.259 --> 00:21:56.799 university draws are precise and often negotiated. 00:21:57.160 --> 00:21:59.920 And we see this duality played out so powerfully 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.220 in student life. Annually, the university hosts 00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:06.000 the Cardinal O 'Connor Conference on Life. which 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.059 is the largest student -organized pro -life conference 00:22:08.059 --> 00:22:12.099 in the entire country. That is a massive event 00:22:12.099 --> 00:22:14.460 affirming Catholic teaching. Yet, coexisting 00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:16.259 with this, you have the pro -abortion rights 00:22:16.259 --> 00:22:18.799 group, Ages for Choice. And this group is not 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:21.019 officially recognized by the university. That's 00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:23.119 why they need the asterisk in their name. Because 00:22:23.119 --> 00:22:25.359 their platform directly conflicts with official 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:28.640 university policy. However, the university permits 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:31.900 them to meet and set up tables on campus. This 00:22:31.900 --> 00:22:34.359 is that delicate legal and moral framework in 00:22:34.359 --> 00:22:36.920 action. upholding the religious foundation while 00:22:36.920 --> 00:22:39.440 still guaranteeing freedom of expression. This 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:42.000 tension, it often spills over when high -profile 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:44.220 political figures are invited to campus, particularly 00:22:44.220 --> 00:22:47.160 in D .C. The university faced strong criticism 00:22:47.160 --> 00:22:49.599 from conservative religious groups in 2005 and 00:22:49.599 --> 00:22:52.319 2012 for hosting prominent pro -abortion rights 00:22:52.319 --> 00:22:55.240 speakers, like then -Senator John Kerry, President 00:22:55.240 --> 00:22:57.599 Barack Obama, and Health and Human Services Secretary 00:22:57.599 --> 00:23:00.460 Kathleen Sebelius. And there was also that infamous 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:04.039 incident in 2009. Before President Obama's speech 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:06.180 on campus, the administration covered up the 00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:08.559 name of Jesus, which was inscribed on a wall 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:10.700 so as not to appear to be using a sacred space 00:23:10.700 --> 00:23:13.740 for a political event. And this seemingly minor 00:23:13.740 --> 00:23:16.359 decision brought the entire conflict over religious 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:18.799 symbols and political neutrality right back into 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:21.019 the national spotlight. Social issues are equally 00:23:21.019 --> 00:23:25.319 charged. In 2013, religious groups strongly denounced 00:23:25.319 --> 00:23:27.940 the university for allowing gay -themed events, 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:30.740 including one controversial performance where 00:23:30.740 --> 00:23:33.180 a male student, dressed in high heels and a blue 00:23:33.180 --> 00:23:36.160 cloak, performed a dance to Madonna's Like a 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:38.660 Virgin. parodying the Virgin Mary. Right. Yet 00:23:38.660 --> 00:23:41.559 just a few years before, in 2010, Newsweek raided 00:23:41.559 --> 00:23:43.799 Georgetown among its top gay friendly schools. 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:46.180 These conflicts just illustrate that Georgetown 00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:48.960 is not a unified entity. It is a battleground 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:51.579 where 18th century Jesuit principles constantly 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:55.099 meet 21st century progressive politics. And the 00:23:55.099 --> 00:23:57.420 administration has to navigate this tension every 00:23:57.420 --> 00:23:59.779 single day. Speaking of D .C. influence, let's 00:23:59.779 --> 00:24:01.960 look at the faculty that defines the institution's 00:24:01.960 --> 00:24:03.970 political leaning and intellectual outlook. Well, 00:24:04.049 --> 00:24:06.289 while the faculty demographics skew predominantly 00:24:06.289 --> 00:24:09.609 male by a two to one margin, politically, the 00:24:09.609 --> 00:24:12.230 faculty is heavily liberal. We know this based 00:24:12.230 --> 00:24:14.289 on donation patterns, which show significant 00:24:14.289 --> 00:24:16.990 support for liberal candidates, notably contributing 00:24:16.990 --> 00:24:19.690 more than the average academic institution to 00:24:19.690 --> 00:24:22.250 the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. 00:24:22.670 --> 00:24:25.130 So this means that students are receiving high 00:24:25.130 --> 00:24:27.809 level political and policy education from a very 00:24:27.809 --> 00:24:30.809 engaged, largely liberal academic perspective, 00:24:30.849 --> 00:24:33.890 all housed within that formal conservative Catholic 00:24:33.890 --> 00:24:36.349 tradition. But the real unique selling point 00:24:36.349 --> 00:24:39.009 of a Georgetown education is the roster of influence 00:24:39.009 --> 00:24:42.109 they attract. The faculty roster is just packed 00:24:42.109 --> 00:24:45.049 with people who have shaped history, former high 00:24:45.049 --> 00:24:47.250 -level officials who cycle through the university 00:24:47.250 --> 00:24:49.789 after public service. It's policy taught by the 00:24:49.789 --> 00:24:52.529 actual practitioners. This list is a who's who 00:24:52.529 --> 00:24:54.839 of U .S. and global leadership. We're talking 00:24:54.839 --> 00:24:57.400 former secretaries of state like Madeleine Albright 00:24:57.400 --> 00:24:59.819 and Henry Kissinger, former CIA Director George 00:24:59.819 --> 00:25:02.420 Tenet, and National Security Advisor Anthony 00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:04.940 Lake. And even the judicial branch is represented. 00:25:05.619 --> 00:25:08.359 Former Supreme Court Justices William J. Brennan 00:25:08.359 --> 00:25:11.420 Jr. and Antonin Scalia and current Chief Justice 00:25:11.420 --> 00:25:14.079 John Roberts have all spent time teaching there. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:16.559 The student experience is one of proximity to 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:19.180 power. The theoretical is immediately grounded 00:25:19.180 --> 00:25:21.099 in the practical experience of the people who 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:23.460 actually sat in the seats of power. And this 00:25:23.460 --> 00:25:26.279 isn't limited to the U .S. The influence is decidedly 00:25:26.279 --> 00:25:28.720 global. They attract international figures like 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:30.960 the former prime minister of Spain, Jose Maria 00:25:30.960 --> 00:25:33.299 Aznar, and the former president of Colombia, 00:25:33.519 --> 00:25:36.759 Alvaro Uribe. Georgetown is a revolving door 00:25:36.759 --> 00:25:39.400 for global political leadership, giving students 00:25:39.400 --> 00:25:41.839 unparalleled access to the people who shaped 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:44.619 recent history and who are still defining international 00:25:44.619 --> 00:25:47.140 affairs today. Now let's move to the physical 00:25:47.140 --> 00:25:49.750 reality of being a Hoya. a student living and 00:25:49.750 --> 00:25:52.609 studying right in D .C. The main campus is appropriately 00:25:52.609 --> 00:25:55.450 nicknamed the Hilltop, a beautifully organized 00:25:55.450 --> 00:25:58.970 104 acres overlooking the Potomac River. And 00:25:58.970 --> 00:26:00.910 the campus has a very distinct architectural 00:26:00.910 --> 00:26:03.849 signature. It's dominated by collegiate Gothic 00:26:03.849 --> 00:26:06.049 and Georgian brick architecture styles, giving 00:26:06.049 --> 00:26:09.529 it that classic, revered university feel, a very 00:26:09.529 --> 00:26:12.190 deliberate nod to tradition. And the crown jewel, 00:26:12.450 --> 00:26:15.029 the symbol of the university and Patrick Francis 00:26:15.029 --> 00:26:18.079 Healy's vision, has to be Healy Hall. Oh, Healy 00:26:18.079 --> 00:26:21.220 Hall is a national historic landmark built in 00:26:21.220 --> 00:26:24.500 that dramatic neo -medieval style between 1877 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:28.660 and 1879. It houses some of the most iconic spaces 00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:31.619 in the university, including Gaston Hall, which 00:26:31.619 --> 00:26:33.579 is known for hosting major lectures and ceremonies, 00:26:33.839 --> 00:26:37.200 and the gorgeous Riggs Library. It serves as 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:40.160 the physical and intellectual anchor of the entire 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:43.160 campus. And while the historic center was Dahlgren 00:26:43.160 --> 00:26:45.990 Quadrangle. Contemporary student life tends to 00:26:45.990 --> 00:26:48.289 gravitate around Red Square. Recent construction 00:26:48.289 --> 00:26:50.569 shows the university's commitment to modern science 00:26:50.569 --> 00:26:52.769 and student life, including Regents Hall for 00:26:52.769 --> 00:26:54.569 Science and the Healy Family Student Center, 00:26:54.650 --> 00:26:58.930 or HFSC. which is a massive 43 ,000 square feet, 00:26:59.049 --> 00:27:01.470 offering everything from study spaces and dance 00:27:01.470 --> 00:27:04.109 studios to the popular student pub, the Bulldog 00:27:04.109 --> 00:27:06.190 Tavern. But it's essential to remember that the 00:27:06.190 --> 00:27:08.829 institution is spread across D .C. The Law Center 00:27:08.829 --> 00:27:11.230 campus is separate, situated right in the Capitol 00:27:11.230 --> 00:27:13.529 Hill neighborhood near Union Station. It consists 00:27:13.529 --> 00:27:15.829 of five buildings, including the sole on -campus 00:27:15.829 --> 00:27:17.990 dormitory, the Gewirtz Student Center. Then you 00:27:17.990 --> 00:27:20.329 have the downtown campus, which houses the School 00:27:20.329 --> 00:27:23.920 of Continuing Studies, or SCS. This is a state 00:27:23.920 --> 00:27:26.039 -of -the -art 95 ,000 -square -foot building 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:28.059 located in the vibrant Chinatown neighborhood, 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:30.539 and it hosts specialized graduate programs like 00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:32.599 applied intelligence and journalism. And the 00:27:32.599 --> 00:27:35.000 location of the SCS is a very deliberate choice. 00:27:35.240 --> 00:27:38.019 It's focused on accessibility for working professionals. 00:27:38.279 --> 00:27:41.359 It boasts a perfect transit score of 100, meaning 00:27:41.359 --> 00:27:43.900 public transit access is effortless, and a walk 00:27:43.900 --> 00:27:46.980 score of 98. This shows a deep understanding 00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:49.559 of the needs of nontraditional, often already 00:27:49.559 --> 00:27:52.180 employed, graduate students in a major city. 00:27:52.339 --> 00:27:54.480 Now, for one of the most remarkable and unique 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:57.750 aspects of Georgetown culture. student self -governance 00:27:57.750 --> 00:28:00.670 and commerce. Georgetown hosts two of the nation's 00:28:00.670 --> 00:28:03.210 largest organizations run entirely by students. 00:28:03.470 --> 00:28:06.309 This is truly unparalleled responsibility handed 00:28:06.309 --> 00:28:08.390 to undergraduates. First, you have Students of 00:28:08.390 --> 00:28:10.630 Georgetown, Inc., universally known as the Corps. 00:28:10.849 --> 00:28:13.930 Founded in 1972, they are an entirely student 00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:16.569 -owned and operated umbrella corporation. And 00:28:16.569 --> 00:28:19.680 this is not a bake sale operation. The Corp operates 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:21.799 multiple successful businesses. We're talking 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:24.660 coffee shops, grocery stores, catering services, 00:28:24.900 --> 00:28:28.240 and the popular Hilltoss salad store. They generate 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.799 roughly $5 million in annual revenue, and the 00:28:31.799 --> 00:28:33.720 surpluses are channeled directly back into the 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:35.859 student body through scholarships and philanthropy. 00:28:36.650 --> 00:28:39.029 It's high -stakes business run by young adults. 00:28:39.190 --> 00:28:41.309 And then there's the financial muscle, the Georgetown 00:28:41.309 --> 00:28:43.470 University Alumni and Student Federal Credit 00:28:43.470 --> 00:28:47.029 Union, GUASFCU. It's the largest all -student 00:28:47.029 --> 00:28:49.369 -run credit union in the United States. They 00:28:49.369 --> 00:28:52.250 manage over $17 million in assets and serve 12 00:28:52.250 --> 00:28:54.900 ,000 members. To have undergraduates running 00:28:54.900 --> 00:28:57.240 a fully functional multimillion dollar federal 00:28:57.240 --> 00:28:59.559 credit union is just a testament to the trust 00:28:59.559 --> 00:29:01.900 placed in the Hoya student body. And that tradition 00:29:01.900 --> 00:29:04.460 of student led organizations extends to media, 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:07.200 which acts as a powerful channel for the school's 00:29:07.200 --> 00:29:10.440 noted political activism. Right. The Hoya is 00:29:10.440 --> 00:29:13.400 the oldest campus newspaper published twice weekly 00:29:13.400 --> 00:29:17.039 since 1920, covering campus and city news. Then 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:19.200 you have alternative voices like the Georgetown 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:22.299 Voice, a popular news magazine. And for the real 00:29:22.299 --> 00:29:34.240 policy enthusiasts. And the political energy 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:37.059 here is just palpable. The Princeton Review ranked 00:29:37.059 --> 00:29:39.279 Georgetown as having the second most politically 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:42.039 active student body in the United States. And 00:29:42.039 --> 00:29:43.940 this energy is highly organized and effective. 00:29:44.259 --> 00:29:46.519 Absolutely. Look at the groups that channel this 00:29:46.519 --> 00:29:48.500 activism. The Georgetown Solidarity Committee, 00:29:48.599 --> 00:29:50.680 for example, successfully campaigned for significant 00:29:50.680 --> 00:29:53.440 workers' rights. for pay raises for cleaning 00:29:53.440 --> 00:29:55.900 staff and police and successfully ended the use 00:29:55.900 --> 00:29:58.400 of sweatshops for university apparel. And this 00:29:58.400 --> 00:30:00.799 activism recently bore significant institutional 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:04.819 fruit with the GU Fossil Free Group. They successfully 00:30:04.819 --> 00:30:07.599 advocated for the university to divest its entire 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:10.720 endowment from fossil fuels. A campaign that 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:12.640 resulted in the administration announcing full 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:16.240 divestment in February 2020, a huge win for climate 00:30:16.240 --> 00:30:19.069 activism in higher education. It just highlights 00:30:19.069 --> 00:30:21.509 that for a school that trains policymakers, the 00:30:21.509 --> 00:30:23.509 students are often the first to put policy into 00:30:23.509 --> 00:30:25.789 practice right on their own campus. Before we 00:30:25.789 --> 00:30:27.470 move to athletics, there's a small detail on 00:30:27.470 --> 00:30:30.950 social life. Greek life is surprisingly low participation, 00:30:31.390 --> 00:30:34.490 about 10 % of undergraduates. The university 00:30:34.490 --> 00:30:37.109 officially recognizes only one Greek organization, 00:30:37.509 --> 00:30:40.089 Alpha Phi Omega, which is purely focused on community 00:30:40.089 --> 00:30:42.430 service. Right. Now let's get to the beloved 00:30:42.430 --> 00:30:46.109 and slightly bizarre nickname. Where did Hoyas 00:30:46.109 --> 00:30:48.509 come from? The name originated sometime before 00:30:48.509 --> 00:30:52.029 1893 from a mixed Greek and Latin chant, Hoya 00:30:52.029 --> 00:30:55.309 Soxa. It roughly translates to what rocks or 00:30:55.309 --> 00:30:58.730 such rocks. The baseball team, which was known 00:30:58.730 --> 00:31:01.369 as the Stonewalls at the time, likely inspired 00:31:01.369 --> 00:31:04.950 the chant. The nickname just stuck. And by the 00:31:04.950 --> 00:31:08.329 1920s, Hoyas was widely adopted, eventually replacing 00:31:08.329 --> 00:31:11.789 the older, slightly bland team name, the Hilltoppers. 00:31:11.890 --> 00:31:15.519 And athletically, they are NCAA Division I. Competing 00:31:15.519 --> 00:31:17.440 primarily in the Big East Conference for most 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:19.619 sports, though football is in the Patriot League, 00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:22.119 they're a major name in college sports, particularly 00:31:22.119 --> 00:31:24.779 basketball. Oh, yeah. Men's basketball won the 00:31:24.779 --> 00:31:27.519 NCAA championship in 1984 under John Thompson, 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:29.460 and they hold the record for the most Big East 00:31:29.460 --> 00:31:32.240 Conference titles with eight. That legacy is 00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:33.960 part of the national consciousness. But don't 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:36.099 overlook the specialized teams. The sailing team 00:31:36.099 --> 00:31:38.500 has been incredibly dominant. They've won 14 00:31:38.500 --> 00:31:40.680 national championships and one world championship 00:31:40.680 --> 00:31:43.859 in match racing since 2001. And men's soccer 00:31:43.859 --> 00:31:47.079 also claimed the NCAA title in 2019. Finally, 00:31:47.099 --> 00:31:48.779 though, we have to note a modern shadow cast 00:31:48.779 --> 00:31:51.259 on the athletic department. The 2019 college 00:31:51.259 --> 00:31:54.259 admissions bribery scandal. Right. The former 00:31:54.259 --> 00:31:57.200 tennis coach, Gordon Gordy Ernst, was implicated 00:31:57.200 --> 00:31:59.680 in this scandal. He was involved in facilitating 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.079 the fraudulent admission of up to 12 students 00:32:02.079 --> 00:32:04.779 using fake athletic credentials while accepting 00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:08.779 up to $950 ,000 in bribes. He later pled guilty 00:32:08.779 --> 00:32:12.039 to bribery and tax charges. And this event just 00:32:12.039 --> 00:32:14.400 serves as a sharp reminder that even institutions 00:32:14.400 --> 00:32:16.720 rooted in public service ideals are susceptible 00:32:16.720 --> 00:32:19.500 to high -profile corruption when access and wealth 00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:22.769 converge. It was a failure of institutional oversight 00:32:22.769 --> 00:32:25.130 in an era of hyper -competitive college admissions. 00:32:25.490 --> 00:32:27.430 Okay, let's bring this all together by examining 00:32:27.430 --> 00:32:29.789 the final output, the legacy and the influence 00:32:29.789 --> 00:32:32.259 of the alumni. Immediately after graduation, 00:32:32.500 --> 00:32:34.019 the numbers show a heavy focus on professional 00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:37.500 careers. About 73 % of graduates enter the workforce 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:40.160 right away. And they are immediately highly compensated. 00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:43.019 The median starting salary sits at $87 ,100, 00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:45.720 which is extremely strong. And then the median 00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:49.960 mid -career salary is $179 ,300. Graduates coming 00:32:49.960 --> 00:32:51.579 out of the McDonough School of Business, the 00:32:51.579 --> 00:32:54.140 MSB, report the highest average starting salary, 00:32:54.259 --> 00:32:57.960 breaking the six -figure mark at $100 ,859. And 00:32:57.960 --> 00:33:00.569 where do they go? The professional pipeline is 00:33:00.569 --> 00:33:03.859 very clear. 40 % of graduates start their careers 00:33:03.859 --> 00:33:06.740 in consulting or financial services. So this 00:33:06.740 --> 00:33:08.859 isn't just a political school, it's a financial 00:33:08.859 --> 00:33:11.900 powerhouse. Georgetown is consistently ranked 00:33:11.900 --> 00:33:14.440 among the top 10 alma maters reported by current 00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:16.700 Wall Street employees. But the output of public 00:33:16.700 --> 00:33:19.140 service remains undeniable. Beyond the immediate 00:33:19.140 --> 00:33:21.900 paycheck, Georgetown is a powerhouse in producing 00:33:21.900 --> 00:33:24.079 global scholars. They are one of the nation's 00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:27.019 top producers of Fulbright scholars, with 565 00:33:27.019 --> 00:33:29.339 historically, and they were ranked the number 00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:34.079 one producer in 2020, 2020, And they're also 00:33:34.079 --> 00:33:36.140 consistently producing the next generation of 00:33:36.140 --> 00:33:38.099 leadership through other prestigious scholarships. 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:41.839 Their alumni include 32 Rhodes Scholars, 46 Marshall 00:33:41.839 --> 00:33:45.279 Scholars, and 33 Truman Scholars. This just solidifies 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:47.279 Georgetown's position in the highest echelon 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:49.440 of U .S. academic institutions focused on creating 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:51.980 public servants and global thought leaders. And 00:33:51.980 --> 00:33:54.019 that intense academic rigor is channeled into 00:33:54.019 --> 00:33:57.460 one clear area, global political power. The two 00:33:57.460 --> 00:33:59.640 most popular undergraduate majors are consistently 00:33:59.640 --> 00:34:02.680 government - and international relations. Georgetown 00:34:02.680 --> 00:34:05.039 has really earned the title of diplomatic pipeline. 00:34:05.380 --> 00:34:08.380 It has educated more U .S. diplomats than any 00:34:08.380 --> 00:34:11.719 other university in the nation. At least 92 alumni 00:34:11.719 --> 00:34:14.860 have achieved the rank of U .S. ambassador. That 00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:17.420 statistic alone highlights the central role the 00:34:17.420 --> 00:34:20.539 SFS plays in American foreign policy. And if 00:34:20.539 --> 00:34:22.340 we look at U .S. leadership alumni, the list 00:34:22.340 --> 00:34:24.679 is just staggering. You have two U .S. presidents, 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:29.079 Bill Clinton, a 1968 SFS graduate, and Lyndon 00:34:29.079 --> 00:34:31.099 B. Johnson, who attended the Law Center, though 00:34:31.099 --> 00:34:33.719 he left without a degree. Two Supreme Court justices, 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:36.500 Antonin Scalia and Edward Douglas White, are 00:34:36.500 --> 00:34:39.860 alumni, alongside 116 members of Congress who 00:34:39.860 --> 00:34:42.329 have Georgetown ties. And let's just name check 00:34:42.329 --> 00:34:44.269 a few cabinet -level officials to bring this 00:34:44.269 --> 00:34:46.730 influence to life. Robert Gates, former Secretary 00:34:46.730 --> 00:34:49.150 of Defense, Jack Lew, former Secretary of the 00:34:49.150 --> 00:34:51.670 Treasury, and John F. Kelly, former White House 00:34:51.670 --> 00:34:53.650 Chief of Staff and Secretary of Homeland Security. 00:34:53.929 --> 00:34:56.349 The influence extends deep into the military 00:34:56.349 --> 00:34:59.210 as well. Right. The Hoya Battalion, their Army 00:34:59.210 --> 00:35:01.789 ROTC unit, is the oldest military unit native 00:35:01.789 --> 00:35:04.210 to D .C. and was ranked the best in the country 00:35:04.210 --> 00:35:08.070 in 2012. Alumni include four -star generals like 00:35:08.070 --> 00:35:11.269 George W. Casey Jr. and Joseph Dunford, the former 00:35:11.269 --> 00:35:13.250 chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. And the 00:35:13.250 --> 00:35:15.110 international pipeline is equally impressive, 00:35:15.349 --> 00:35:17.429 completely fulfilling the mandate of the SFS. 00:35:17.889 --> 00:35:20.989 Our sources identify 12 graduates who have served 00:35:20.989 --> 00:35:23.769 as international royalty or heads of state. This 00:35:23.769 --> 00:35:26.570 includes King Felipe VI of Spain, King Abdullah 00:35:26.570 --> 00:35:29.449 II of Jordan, and José Manuel Barroso, who served 00:35:29.449 --> 00:35:31.429 as both prime minister of Portugal and president 00:35:31.429 --> 00:35:34.199 of the European Commission. And beyond politics 00:35:34.199 --> 00:35:36.380 and military, the cultural impact is substantial, 00:35:36.500 --> 00:35:39.300 and it's often rooted right on campus. Alumnus 00:35:39.300 --> 00:35:41.820 William Peter Blatty won an Academy Award for 00:35:41.820 --> 00:35:44.199 the screenplay of The Exorcist, a novel famously 00:35:44.199 --> 00:35:46.320 set and partially filmed right there on the Georgetown 00:35:46.320 --> 00:35:49.019 campus, utilizing those dramatic Gothic visuals. 00:35:49.280 --> 00:35:52.079 And that cinematic success continues with 12 00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:54.539 -time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper and 00:35:54.539 --> 00:35:56.659 Jonathan Nolan, who's known for his writing on 00:35:56.659 --> 00:35:58.880 major films like Interstellar and The Dark Knight. 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:01.880 The alumni also include Pulitzer Prize winners 00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:05.239 like Walter Pincus and Megan Tuhey. Georgetown 00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:07.679 is consistently channeling its intellectual rigor 00:36:07.679 --> 00:36:10.679 toward influence in every major sphere, political, 00:36:10.920 --> 00:36:14.369 financial, media, and defense. So this has been 00:36:14.369 --> 00:36:16.570 an incredibly detailed and I think necessary 00:36:16.570 --> 00:36:19.570 deep dive into Georgetown University. We've seen 00:36:19.570 --> 00:36:21.650 an institution that is exceptionally influential 00:36:21.650 --> 00:36:24.269 on global politics and diplomacy, but one that 00:36:24.269 --> 00:36:26.969 is constantly grappling with this profound internal 00:36:26.969 --> 00:36:30.460 friction, that tension of Utrecht Unum. That's 00:36:30.460 --> 00:36:32.480 the key takeaway. We've tracked the high profile 00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:34.900 conflict between its conservative Catholic foundation 00:36:34.900 --> 00:36:38.079 and its increasingly liberal activist and secular 00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:40.780 campus culture. And we also confronted the historical 00:36:40.780 --> 00:36:43.119 complexities head on, particularly the morally 00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:47.239 devastating 1838 slave sale and the complex pioneering 00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:49.739 legacy of its mixed race second founder, Patrick 00:36:49.739 --> 00:36:52.539 Francis Healy. Georgetown has meticulously built 00:36:52.539 --> 00:36:54.739 itself as the essential training ground for the 00:36:54.739 --> 00:36:57.780 global elite. often situated literally blocks 00:36:57.780 --> 00:36:59.619 away from the State Department and the U .S. 00:36:59.639 --> 00:37:02.599 Capitol. Yet everything is, at least theoretically, 00:37:02.920 --> 00:37:07.260 framed by a 236 -year -old Jesuit ethos of service 00:37:07.260 --> 00:37:09.800 to the common good. And this leads us to our 00:37:09.800 --> 00:37:12.039 final provocative thought for you to consider. 00:37:12.429 --> 00:37:14.969 tying together the past and the present. Given 00:37:14.969 --> 00:37:17.550 Georgetown's explicit and unavoidable historical 00:37:17.550 --> 00:37:21.190 ties to slavery, a foundational injustice that 00:37:21.190 --> 00:37:23.909 was necessary for its early survival, and its 00:37:23.909 --> 00:37:26.610 ongoing reliance today on massive, high -profile 00:37:26.610 --> 00:37:29.050 global and government funding, including those 00:37:29.050 --> 00:37:31.110 hundreds of millions of dollars from Gulf nations. 00:37:31.429 --> 00:37:33.650 How does this deep connection to global power 00:37:33.650 --> 00:37:36.110 and wealth fundamentally influence its ability 00:37:36.110 --> 00:37:38.690 to maintain its founding Jesuit principles of 00:37:38.690 --> 00:37:40.530 social justice and service to the common good 00:37:40.530 --> 00:37:43.130 in the 21st century? It is a question of mission 00:37:43.130 --> 00:37:45.730 versus the necessity of modern geopolitical finance. 00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:48.369 Perfect note to end on. Thank you for joining 00:37:48.369 --> 00:37:49.349 us for this Deep Dive.