George Washington University is a private university in Washington DC. Founded as Columbian College in 1821, the university was frequented by Southern students until the American Civil War, during which many students left to serve in th eConfederate States Army. The college was renamed to Columbian University in 1873 and to George Washington University in 1904. In 1912, the university moved its principal operations to Foggy Bottom. During the Vietnam War, Thurston Hall became a staging ground for student anti-war demonstrations. In 2022, as a result of the George Floyd protests, the school's "Colonials" moniker was retired and replaced by the "Revolutionaries."