​GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, an institution for higher education, founded in 1821, in Washington, D. C., as Columbian College. It retained this name until 1873, when it was incorporated as Columbian University. In 1904, with several other educational institutions, it was merged under the name of George Washington University. There were in 1919 2,654 students and 275 instructors. President, W. M. Collier, LL.D.