Georgetown University is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States that was founded as Georgetown College by Bishop John Carroll of Baltimore in 1789. The president of Georgetown University is its chief executive officer, and from its establishment until the 1960s was also the rector of the university's Jesuit community. The president is elected by and may be removed by the university's board of directors, and is ex officio a member of the board. The president is also one of five members of the university's legal corporation, known as the President and Directors of Georgetown College, which was first chartered by the United States Congress in 1815.
The president is charged with control over the "business affairs and properties" of the university, and appoints the vice presidents and administrators and, with the concurrence of the board, appoints the provost, secretary, and treasurer of the university. The president may remove any officer, vice president, or administrator by his accord, except the provost, secretary, and treasurer, which require the concurrence of the board. If the office is vacant, then the powers of the presidency are exercised by the provost. The president is among the 100 highest-paid university presidents in the United States.
Of the 41 individuals to have held the office, nearly all have been Jesuits. Only one has been a member of another religious order while president: Louis William Valentine DuBourg, who was a Sulpician. Three presidents have gone on to become bishops: DuBourg, Leonard Neale, and Benedict Joseph Fenwick. Every president has been a Catholic priest except one, John J. DeGioia. Having assumed office on July 1, 2001, DeGioia is the university's longest-serving president. He stepped down on November 21, 2024.
On October 15, 2025, Georgetown announced that Eduardo Peñalver would become the 49th president of the university, effective July 1, 2026.
Presidents +Key SJSociety of Jesus PSSSociety of the Priests of Saint Sulpice
+ Image Name Years Notes 1 1793 2 17931796Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18051808) 3 17961798Founder and President of St. Mary's College (17991810); Bishop of Louisiana and the Two Floridas (18151826); Bishop of Montauban (18261833); Archbishop of Besançon (1833). 4 17981806Coadjutor Bishop of Baltimore (17951815); Archbishop of Baltimore (18151817) 5 18061808 6 18081809Acting president 7 1809President of the Washington Seminary (18241848). Georgetown alumnus. Was a Jesuit novice only for the duration of his presidency. 8 18091812 9 18121817Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18121817); Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Province of Turin (18311835); Rector of the Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide (18401842). Sometimes referred to as Georgetown's "second founder." 10 1817Bishop of Boston (18251846). Georgetown alumnus. 11 18171820Apostolic Administrator of New York (18101815); Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Mission (18171819); President of the Washington Seminary (18201824). 12 18201825Georgetown alumnus 13 1825Acting president 14 18251826Georgetown alumnus 15 18261829 16 1829 17 18291838Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18371840); President of the College of the Holy Cross (18431845). Georgetown alumnus. 18 18381839Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18331837, 1839). Georgetown alumnus. 19 18391840Acting president. First Latin American college president in the United States. 20 18401845Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18431845); President of the College of the Holy Cross (18451848); President of Saint Joseph's College (18561857). Georgetown alumnus. 21 1845Georgetown alumnus 22 18451848 23 18481851 24 18511852Provincial Superior of the Jesuit Maryland Province (18521858); President of Gonzaga College (18581860). Georgetown alumnus. 25 18521858Georgetown alumnus 26 18581865President of the College of the Holy Cross (18481851); President of Loyola College in Maryland (18521858, 18661870). Georgetown alumnus. 27 18661870 28 18701873 29 18731882Self-identified as white but posthumously recognized as the first black American to become a Jesuit, earn a Ph.D. and become the president of a predominantly white American university. Sometimes referred to as Georgetown's "second founder." 30 18821888Georgetown alumnus 31 18881898 32 18981901 33 19011905 34 19051908 35 19081912Rector of St. Andrew-on-Hudson (19151921) 36 19121918Georgetown alumnus 37 19181924 38 19241928Rector of Gonzaga College (19081909); President of Saint Joseph's College (19091914); President of Boston College (19141919) 39 19281935President of the University of Scranton (19421947) 40 19351942 41 19421949 42 19491952 43 19521964President of Loyola College in Maryland (19381947) 44 19641968 45 19691976 46 19761989President of the New York Public Library (19891992) 47 19892001Georgetown alumnus 48 20012024First lay president of a Jesuit university in the United States. Georgetown alumnus. interimRobert Groves2024–2026Georgetown's Executive Vice President and Provost (2012–2024); 23rd Director of the United States Census Bureau (2009–2012) 49Eduardo Peñalver2026President of Seattle University (2021–2026)
See also History of Georgetown University Jesuits in the United States List of Georgetown University faculty
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