Seal of Georgetown University | |
Former name | Georgetown College (1789– ,1990–2022) |
|---|---|
| Type | Private college |
| Established | 1789; 237 years ago (1789) |
Parent institution | Georgetown University |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic (Jesuit) |
| Dean | David M. Edelstein |
| Students | 3,566 (2021[update])[1] |
| Location | , United States 38°54′32.1″N77°4′20.2″W / 38.908917°N 77.072278°W /38.908917; -77.072278 |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | college |
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TheGeorgetown University College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) is a college ofGeorgetown University, aprivateJesuitresearch university in theGeorgetown neighborhood ofWashington, D.C.. It is the oldest and largest undergraduate school at Georgetown, and, until the founding of theSchool of Medicine in 1850, was the only higher education division of the university. In 1821, it granted its first graduate degrees, though the graduate portion has since been separated as theGeorgetown University Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. From 1990 to 2022, it was namedGeorgetown College.[2]
The college enrolls over 3,500 students in 30 academic majors within 23 departments.[3]
From 1789 until the founding of theSchool of Medicine in 1850, Georgetown College was the only secondary school at what becameGeorgetown University.Robert Plunkett, the firstpresident of Georgetown, oversaw the division of the school into three parts, "college", "preparatory", and "elementary". Elementary education was eventually dropped byPatrick Francis Healy, and preparatory eventually separated asGeorgetown Prep.[4]

Over the years many schools have broken off of the College. TheGraduate School of Arts and Sciences first broke off in 1855, but rejoined the college organization following the downturn in admissions caused by theAmerican Civil War, until reestablishment in 1891. The School of Languages and Linguistics, itself organized out of theSchool of Foreign Service in 1949, was collapsed into the College in 1995, as the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, though it maintains its separate programs.[6]
The college offersBachelor of Arts andBachelor of Science degree programs.
From 1811 to 1931, Georgetown College was led by aprefect of studies. Since 1931, it has been led by adean. Andrew Sobanet has been the interim dean of the school since July 1, 2024.[7] The following people have led the college:
| No. | Name | Years | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefects of Studies | |||
| 1 | Giovanni Antonio GrassiSJ | 1811–1817 | [8] |
| 2 | Roger BaxterSJ | 1819–1824 | [8] |
| 3 | William FeinerSJ | 1825–1826 | [8] |
| 4 | James NeillSJ | 1826–1827 | [8] |
| 5 | Peter WalshSJ | 1827–1828 | [8] |
| 6 | Thomas F. MulledySJ | 1829–1831 | [8] |
| 7 | William GraceSJ | 1831–1833 | [8] |
| 8 | Thomas F. MulledySJ | 1833–1837 | [8] |
| 9 | William McSherrySJ | 1837–1839 | [8] |
| 10 | George FenwickSJ | 1840–1841 | [8] |
| 11 | James A. RyderSJ | 1841–1843 | [8] |
| 12 | George FenwickSJ | 1843–1845 | [8] |
| 13 | Thomas F. MulledySJ | 1845–1848 | [8] |
| 14 | James A. RyderSJ | 1848–1851 | [8] |
| 15 | Charles H. StonestreetSJ | 1851–1852 | [8] |
| 16 | Bernard A. MaguireSJ | 1852–1853 | [8] |
| 17 | Francis KnackstedtSJ | 1853–1854 | [8] |
| 18 | Bernard A. MaguireSJ | 1854–1858 | [8] |
| 19 | John EarlySJ | 1858–1865 | [8] |
| 20 | Bernard A. MaguireSJ | 1866–1867 | [8] |
| 21 | Joseph O'CallaghanSJ | 1867–1868 | [8] |
| 22 | Patrick F. HealySJ | 1868–1880 | [8] |
| 23 | William WhitefordSJ | 1880–1881 | [8] |
| 24 | James A. DoonanSJ | 1881–1882 | [8] |
| 25 | James B. BeckerSJ | 1882–1883 | [8] |
| 26 | Edward I. DevittSJ | 1883–1886 | [8] |
| 27 | James A. DoonanSJ | 1886–1888 | [8] |
| 28 | J. Havens RichardsSJ | 1888–1898 | [8][9] |
| 29 | James P. FaganSJ | 1898–1901 | [9] |
| 30 | John A. ConwaySJ | 1901–1903 | [9] |
| 31 | W. G. Read MullanSJ | 1903–1905 | [9] |
| 32 | Charles MackseySJ | 1905–1909 | [9] |
| 33 | John B. CreedenSJ | 1909–1918 | [9] |
| 34 | Edmund A. WalshSJ | 1918 | [9] |
| 35 | W. Coleman NevilsSJ | 1918–1922 | [9] |
| 36 | William T. TallonSJ | 1922–1924 | [9] |
| 37 | Louis J. GallagherSJ | 1924–1926 | [9] |
| 38 | Robert A. ParsonsSJ | 1926–1928 | [9] |
| 39 | R. Rush RankinSJ | 1928–1931 | [9] |
| Deans | |||
| 1 | John J. McLaughlinSJ | 1931–1932 | [9] |
| 2 | Vincent J. HartSJ | 1932–1933 | [9] |
| 3 | George F. StrohaverSJ | 1933–1934 | [9] |
| 4 | John E. GrattanSJ | 1934–1942 | [9] |
| 5 | Stephen F. McNameeSJ | 1942–1946 | [9] |
| 6 | Charles L. CoolahanSJ | 1946–1949 | [9] |
| 7 | Edward G. JacklinSJ | 1949–1951 | [9] |
| 8 | Brian A. McGrathSJ | 1951–1957 | [9] |
| 9 | Joseph A. SellingerSJ | 1957–1964 | [10] |
| 10 | Thomas R. FitzgeraldSJ | 1964–1966 | [10] |
| 11 | Royden B. DavisSJ | 1966–1989 | [10] |
| 12 | Robert B. LawtonSJ | 1989–1999 | [10] |
| 13 | Jane Dammen McAuliffe | 1999–2008 | [10] |
| 14 | Chester Gillis | 2008–2017 | [11] |
| 15 | Christopher Celenza | 2017–2020 | [12] |
| 16 | Rosario Ceballo | 2022–2024 | [13][14] |
| 17 | David M. Edelstein | 2025–present | [15] |