Chartering of Columbian College in the District of Columbia

Background. George Washington long favored establishing a university in the central United States, including a bequest in his will. Although his shares in the Potomac Company lost value, the idea persisted. In 1821, the Baptist missionary Luther Rice secured funds from President James Monroe and John Quincy Adams to support the establishment of a new educational institution in the District of Columbia.

Charter Process. The United States Congress chartered the institution as Columbian College in 1821. President James Monroe, serving as the fifth president, approved the congressional charter on February 9, 1821. This act created a non-denominational college, marking the first university founded under Washington, D.C.'s jurisdiction and one of six federally chartered universities in the United States.

Institutional Evolution. Columbian College was the oldest unit of the university, with no initial distinction between the college and the university. In 1873, following the Civil War, the institution was renamed Columbian University and moved to an urban downtown location. The Enosinian Society, founded in 1822, became one of the university's oldest student organizations.