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The Charter of The George Washington University

Ninety-fifth Congress of the United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the fourth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and seventy-seven

An Act to amend the Act of February 9, 1821, to restate the charter of The George Washington University

 

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as “The George Washington University Charter Restatement Act”.

Section 2

The Act entitled “An Act to incorporate the Columbia College in the District of Columbia”, approved February 9, 1821 (6 Stat. 255), is amended to read as follows:

ESTABLlSHMENT

Section 1

There is established in the District of Columbia a university and a body corporate which shall be known as The George Washington University (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘University’) and which shall have perpetual succession.

PURPOSES

Section 2

The purposes of the University are — 

  1. to educate individuals in liberal arts, languages, sciences, learned professions, and other courses and subjects of study, 
  2. to conduct scholarly research and publish the findings of such research, 
  3. to operate hospital and medical facilities, and 
  4. to engage in any activity incidental to the foregoing purposes. Such purposes shall be accomplished without regard to the race, color, creed, sex, or national origin of any individual. 

POWERS

Section 3

In order to carry out the purposes of the University, the University may — 

  1. grant or confer academic and honorary degrees, diplomas, and certificates under the seal of the University,
  2. establish any school, division, or department of learning to become a part of the University,
  3. receive, invest, and administer any gift or endowment of money or real or personal property,
  4. borrow money, with or without any security for repayment, at rates of interest determined by the board of trustees of the University without regard to the restrictions of any usury law, but may not plead any usury law as a defense in any action,
  5. enter into any agreement with any institution of learning for the purpose of providing to students registered at such institution the educational facilities of the University and the facilities of any agency of the United States available to the University,
  6. exercise all powers described in section 5 of the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act (D.C. Code, sec. 29—1005) on the date of the enactment of The George Washington University Charter Restatement Act and not inconsistent with the purposes of the University, and 
  7. exercise all powers necessary, incidental, or convenient to the conduct of the purposes, business, and affairs of the University.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Section 4

  1. The management, direction, and government of the University shall be vested in a board of trustees (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ‘board’). The bylaws of the University shall provide for the election, number, term of office, residency requirements, qualifications, manner of election, filling of vacancies, and removal of members of the board. The bylaws may provide that members of the board be elected to terms of office commencing on different dates. The bylaws shall provide for appointment of an executive committee and other committees composed of members of the board with any power and authority, including any power and authority of the board, provided for in the bylaws of the University.

  2. No bylaw of the University which establishes qualifications for membership on the board may permit any individual (except the president of the University) to serve as a member of the board during the period in which the individual is serving as an officer, professor, lecturer, teacher, tutor, or employee of the University.

AUTHORITY OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Section 5

  1. The board shall be responsible for the exercise of all powers and the discharge of all duties of the University in a manner consistent with this Act, shall have full authority over all personnel and activities of the University, and may appoint or elect any person to serve as an officer, professor, lecturer, teacher, tutor, agent, or employee of the University. Any person so appointed or elected may be removed by the board.

  2. The board may, by a vote of two-thirds of the individuals then serving as members of the board, adopt, amend, or repeal any bylaw of the University for— 

    1. the conduct of the purposes, business, and affairs of the University,

    2. the regulation of the internal government of the University.

  3. The board may, by a vote of two-thirds of the individuals then serving as members of the board, vote to merge the University with any other nonprofit organization.

Sec. 3

  1. The amendment made by section 2 constitutes a complete restatement of the charter of The George Washington University without disturbing the present and continuing corporate status of The George Washington University and supersedes all prior charter provisions of The George Washington University contained in the Act of February 9, 1821 (6 Stat. 255), and all amendments and supplements thereto.

  2. Each individual who is a member of the board of trustees of The George Washington University on the date of the enactment of this Act shall continue to serve as a member until the membership termination date applicable to such individual.

Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.

James O. Eastland
Acting President of the Senate pro Tempore.

Approved Oct 18, 1977

Jimmy Carter