Georgetown University, founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789, is a private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., holding the distinction of being the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the U.S. and the nation's first federally chartered university (chartered by President Madison in 1815). Its historic campus, marked by the National Historic Landmark Healy Hall, houses eleven schools and enrolls about 7,500 undergraduates and 10,000 graduates from over 135 countries, while its athletic teams, the Hoyas, compete in the Big East Conference. The university's distinguished alumni include two U.S. presidents, two Supreme Court justices, 116 members of Congress, and over 92 U.S. ambassadors—more than any other university—alongside numerous Rhodes, Marshall, and Fulbright scholars. However, its early history includes a dark chapter: in 1838, Maryland Jesuits sold 272 enslaved people to Louisiana plantations to raise funds and end their slaveholding. Today, it is classified as an "R1" research university and is the second-largest Catholic university in North America by enrollment, making it a leading center for academic inquiry.