George Mason University

George Mason University traces its origins to 1949 when the University of Virginia established an extension center in Northern Virginia to serve working professionals. In 1957, the center became University College, opening with just 17 freshmen in a renovated elementary school building in Bailey's Crossroads. It was renamed George Mason College in 1959 in honor of the Fairfax-born Founding Father. The City of Fairfax donated 150 acres of land for a permanent campus, which opened in 1964 with 356 students. The college became a four-year degree-granting institution in 1966. On April 7, 1972, Virginia separated George Mason College from the University of Virginia, establishing it as an independent university through House Bill 210. The university expanded significantly under President George W. Johnson (1978-1996), acquiring the School of Law and Arlington Campus in 1979 and developing a third campus in Prince William County. Two economics professors have received Nobel Memorial Prizes: James M. Buchanan in 1986 and Vernon L. Smith in 2002. In 2012, Mason opened an international campus in Songdo, South Korea. Gregory Washington became the university's first African-American president in 2020.