Gaston Hall | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Healy Hall, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. |
Coordinates | 38°54′27.5″N77°4′22.1″W / 38.907639°N 77.072806°W |
Named for | William Gaston |
Completed | 1901 |
Other information | |
Seating capacity | 740 |
Gaston Hall is an auditorium located on the third and fourth floors of the north tower of Healy Hall on Georgetown University's main campus in Washington, D.C. Named for Georgetown's first student, William Gaston, who also helped secure the university's federal charter, Gaston Hall was completed in 1901, around twenty years after the construction of the building within which it is housed. [1] [2]
The 740-seat hall (including orchestra and balcony) is today used for numerous occasions including convocations and honorary degree ceremonies, theatrical and musical performances, and speeches. [3] [4] Gaston Hall has gained a reputation for hosting prominent heads of state, political leaders, and other public figures. [5]
Gaston Hall is often referred to as the "jewel in the crown" of Georgetown's campus due to its ornate interior and grand adornments. [6] [7] The ceiling line bears the coats of arms of the sixty Jesuit universities in the world at the time of Gaston's construction, all beneath a decorated wood ceiling. In addition, a number of classical allegorical scenes that fill the walls were painted freehand (without a stencil) by Francis Schroen, a Jesuit Brother who was a reputed interior designer and painter of Catholic institutions and several other rooms with Healy Hall. Behind the stage are paintings of Athena, goddess of wisdom, and a "classically draped male." He painted two large murals above the stage, the left symbolically depicting Morality, Faith, and Patriotism, and the right depicting Art, Alma Mater, and Science. [8]
The center of the stage contains a wooden decorative structure that displays the Georgetown University seal and an IHS Christogram. This Christogram was the center of some controversy when it was covered by a piece of black plywood at the request of the White House for a speech by President Obama on the stage of Gaston Hall. [9] [10]
Due to its significant place in Georgetown's history, Gaston Hall has hosted numerous prominent individuals to speak. In addition to university events such as the Philodemic Society's Merrick Debate and the South Asian cultural show Rangila, in recent times, Gaston Hall has been host to (among others):
Politics and government:
Public life:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gaston Hall . |
Hamid Karzai is an Afghan politician who served as President of Afghanistan from 22 December 2001 to 29 September 2014. He is also the khan (head) of the Popalzai Durrani Pashtun tribe of Kandahar Province.
Georgetown University is a private research university in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll in 1789 as Georgetown College, the university has grown to comprise ten undergraduate and graduate schools, among which are the School of Foreign Service, School of Business, Medical School, Law School, and a campus in Qatar. On a hill above the Potomac River, the school's main campus is identifiable by its flagship Healy Hall, a National Historic Landmark. The school was founded in Jesuit tradition, and is the oldest Catholic institution of higher education in the United States. The Jesuits have participated in the university's academic life, both as scholars and as administrators, since 1805. However, the university has always been governed independently of the church, and the majority of Georgetown students are not Catholic.
John David Podesta Jr. is an American political consultant who served as White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2001 and Counselor to President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2015. Before that, he served in the Clinton Administration as White House Staff Secretary from 1993 to 1995 and White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations from 1997 to 1998.
John Joseph DeGioia is an American academic administrator and philosopher who has been the president of Georgetown University since 2001. He is the first lay president of the school and is currently its longest-serving president. Upon his appointment, he also became the first lay president of any Jesuit university in the United States. Having spent his entire career at Georgetown, where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees, DeGioia was the dean of student affairs and held various vice presidential positions before becoming president.
Melanne Verveer is the executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security at Georgetown University, a founding partner of Seneca Point Global, a global women strategy firm, and a co-founder of Seneca Women. She is also the co-author with Kim Azzarelli of the book Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose.
Opposition to the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) stems from numerous factors, including the view that the United States invasion of Afghanistan was illegal under international law and constituted an unjustified aggression, the view that the continued military presence constitutes a foreign military occupation, the view that the war does little to prevent terrorism but increases its likelihood, and views on the involvement of geo-political and corporate interests. Also giving rise to opposition to the war are civilian casualties, the cost to taxpayers, and the length of the war to date.
McDonough Gymnasium, sometimes referred to as McDonough Arena when hosting a sports or entertainment event, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Officially known as McDonough Memorial Gymnasium, it opened in 1951 and can hold 2,200 spectators for sports events.
Healy Hall is a National Historic Landmark and the flagship building of the main campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Constructed between 1877 and 1879, the hall was designed by Paul J. Pelz and John L. Smithmeyer, prominent architects who also built the Library of Congress. The structure was named after Patrick Francis Healy, who was the President of Georgetown University at the time.
Said Tayeb Jawad is a politician in Afghanistan. He is currently serving as Ambassador to the Russian Federation. From 2017 to 2020, Jawad served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From December 2003 to September 2010, Jawad served as Ambassador to the United States. He was also the non-resident Ambassador to Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. From 2002 to 2003, he was Chief of Staff to President Hamid Karzai.
Since 2004, the American business magazine Forbes compiled an annual list of the 100 most powerful women in the world. It is edited by notable Forbes journalists, including Moira Forbes, and is based on visibility and economic impact. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has remained at the top spot since 2006, with the exception of 2010, where she was temporarily supplanted by then U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama. The top 10 each year are listed below. There were at least six Americans every year except for 2007, when there were five.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama from his inauguration as the 44th president of the United States on January 20, 2009, to December 31, 2009. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.
Matteo Renzi, is an Italian politician who served as Prime Minister of Italy from 2014 to 2016. He has been a Senator for Florence since 2018. Renzi has been described as a centrist and as a liberal by political observers. Renzi has served as the leader of Italia Viva since 2019, having been the Secretary of the Democratic Party from 2013 to 2018, with a brief interruption in 2017.
For purposes of U.S. foreign policy, South Asia consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs as of 12 June 2017 is William E. Todd.
The 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to United States President Barack Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples". The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on October 9, 2009, citing Obama's promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and a "new climate" in international relations fostered by Obama, especially in reaching out to the Muslim world.
The following is a timeline of the presidency of Barack Obama, from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010. For his time as president-elect, see the presidential transition of Barack Obama; for a detailed account of his first months in office, see first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency; for a complete itinerary of his travels, see list of presidential trips made by Barack Obama.
Rashad Hussain is an American attorney, diplomat, and professor, who served as associate White House counsel, U.S. Envoy to Muslim countries as U.S. Special Envoy of President Barack Obama to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the U.S. Special Envoy for strategic counterterrorism communications. Hussain has also served on the United States National Security Council and in the Department of Justice as a trial attorney and a criminal and national security prosecutor. In his role as Envoy to the OIC, the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN, Hussain traveled to numerous countries and international gatherings, served as a foreign policy advisor, and met with foreign leaders and Muslim communities around the world. His position, "a kind of ambassador at large to Muslim countries was created by President George W. Bush," and the Washington Post described Hussain as member of the President Obama's "spiritual cabinet."
The U.S.–Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement (SASPA), officially titled Enduring Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America, was an agreement between a former government of Afghanistan and the United States of America that provides the long-term framework for the relationship between Afghanistan and the United States of America after the drawdown of U.S. forces in the Afghanistan war. SASPA went into effect on 4 July 2012, as stated by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said on 8 July 2012, at the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan: "Like a number of countries represented here, the United States and Afghanistan signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement that went into effect four days ago." SASPA was broadened by the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) that both countries were obliged to negotiate within one year, which resulted on 30 September 2014 in the "Security and defense cooperation agreement between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America" (SADCA).
The withdrawal of United States troops from Afghanistan describes the drawdown of United States Armed Forces in the Afghanistan war and the plans after its post-2014 presence when most combat troops had left Afghanistan at the end of 2014.
The GeorgetownInstitute of Politics and Public Service is an academic center at Georgetown University in Washington, DC dedicated to the study of regional and national politics. It is housed within the McCourt School of Public Policy and was created in the fall of 2013 alongside the school's founding. In 2015, Mo Elleithee, the former communications director of the Democratic National Committee, was appointed its first Executive Director. In the fall of 2015, the Institute launched its first programs. The goal of the institute is to serve as an "incubator of political thought" in a bipartisan manner and to study such matters as leadership, governance, elections, and public engagement. It brings candidates for public office and incumbents, including presidential candidates, and political practitioners to Georgetown's campus and enable "student-driven conversation."
The Old North Building, or simply Old North, is the oldest extant academic building on the campus of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and was the second major building built on the campus. To the east, the building is joined to Healy Hall and to the west, it is joined to New North, while the southern façade of the building encloses Dahlgren Quadrangle. Built in the Georgian style, Old North was one of the grandest buildings in Washington at the time of its completion in 1795. It served as the flagship of the university until the construction of Healy Hall. Old North currently houses the McCourt School of Public Policy.