Kitty Kelley’s Next Book Will Be on Georgetown
• May 16, 2014

Look out, Georgetowners, famed and feared biographer Kitty Kelley – who has written about Jackie O, Sinatra, Oprah and the Bush family and lives in Georgetown – will be writing her next book on her own town. She first told her neighbor and writer Carol Joynt that she intends to get the scoop on the “verve and dynamic of the loveliest 12 square blocks in Washington.” Kelley told Joynt of the Washingtonian magazine that she will give her book proceeds “back to Georgetown.” Some of you out there can expect a phone call or email soon from the author.

Mission of the Georgetown Community Partnership
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It was “one of the great moments for Georgetown,” says Jack DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, when the neighborhood and university finally agreed to have a continuous discussion on matters of main campus growth and activity and community relations.
The point person for the university is Lauralyn Lee, Associate Vice President of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives, who has worked in that position for 18 months and at the university since 2002. She lives in the District with her husband and two daughters.
Any new efforts involve “multi-year, long-range planning” and a sustainable commitment, Lee said. Here’s how the university explains it:
The Georgetown Community Partnership is the forum created as part of Georgetown University’s 2010 Campus Plan to facilitate discussion, information sharing and consensus-based decision-making to support a high quality of life in our community and the university’s long-term planning.
– Created in July 2012 with a shared vision for responsible long-term planning in partnership with the city and the community;
– Led by a steering committee composed of neighbors, senior university administrators, and students;
– Five working groups focus on shared priorities: safety and student life; transportation and parking; environment and landlords; communications and engagement; and data and metrics;
– Provides mechanism for shared contributions and responsibility on issues of common concern (participants include community members from Georgetown, Burleith and Foxhall, university administrators, students and faculty);
– Enhances collaboration and communication between the university and the community.
Among the new efforts is the Office of Neighborhood Life – 202–687–8413.
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Washington Monument Reopens: Fresh Views
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Closed for repairs since the August 23, 2011, earthquake, the iconic 555-foot obelisk dedicated to George Washington, first President of the United States, reopened to the public May 12.

The Georgetowner participated in a media preview May 10, when National Park Service rangers showed off the newly reopened Washington Monument and escorted writers and photographers to the top.

The 5.8-magnitude quake — unusual for the mid-Atlantic — caused significant damage to the monument which dominates the skyline of Washington, D.C. The monument’s foundation was laid July 4, 1848, and — after years of lack of funds and work halted — the structure formally opened in December 1884.

Scaffolding around the monument was erected for the meticulous repair work to be done. Cracks, especially at the top of the monument, the pyramid, were filled and braced or stones replaced. The work took almost three years.

Now, visitors may again take the elevator to the top of monument and look out windows at the height of 500 at each compass point, north, east, west and south. On the floor below, there is an exhibit area which tells the story of the Washington Monument.

Tickets are free from the Park Service, but there is a service fee of $1.50 to make a reservation. When NPS first offered tickets in mid-April, 16,000 tickets were snapped in 15 minutes. Most visitors use the online system these days. During the summer, hours have been extended. Visit www.nps.gov/wamo for details.

On hand at the Monday ceremony to reopen the monument were Sally Jewell, Interior Secretary; Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton; Mayor Vincent Gray; Jonathon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service; Robert Vogel, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks; David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group; Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall; and Al Roker of NBC News, master of ceremonies.

Jewell noted the need for private-public partnerships in her remarks. She especially thanked Rubenstein who donated $7.5 million to match funds allocated by Congress. For Jewell, it is about “ordinary citizens making extraordinary contributions.”

For his part, Rubenstein is considered a patriotic philanthropist, and he joked he had received a message from George Washington on his iPad over the weekend.

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Carine’s Bridal Purchases Georgetown Café Building
• May 15, 2014

REVISED: May 15, 2014

Within a year or two, Carine’s Bridal plans to move one block down Wisconsin Avenue into the space once occupied by the shuttered Georgetown Café. The bridal salon purchased the vacant retail space for $2.1 million, the Washington Business Journal reported. The eatery was closed a few years ago.

Carine Krawiec will relocate her boutique to the 6,200-square-foot, three-level building at 1623 Wisconsin Ave., NW. Her current store is at 1726 Wisconsin Ave., NW, and will remain open. Renovations to the new space will begin as soon as possible.

Weekend Round Up May 8, 2014
• May 12, 2014

A Night of True Stories by and about Educators

May 9th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | $25 General Admission $10 Students K-12 $100 Event And Reception | Tel: General Inquiries: Amy Saidman; 240-888-9751 Press Inquiries: Travis Hare: 202-643-7542 | Event Website

SpeakeasyDC, Washington’s original true storytelling group (voted the “Gold Standard” of the genre by The Washington Post, and one of the top open mic nights by Washington City Paper) is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week by giving educators the spotlight on May 9th at 8pm at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. A cast of 8 educators and students will tell their poignant, comical, and sometimes harrowing true tales from inside and outside the classroom.

Address

Atlas Performing Arts Center; 1333 H St. NE Washington, DC

86th annual Georgetown Garden Tour

May 10th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $35 per person when purchased after May 1, 2014 | Event Website

This year’s tour will take place on Saturday May 10th and feature some of Georgetown’s most intriguing gardens, open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Over the years, the garden tour has featured a wide variety of gardens with spacious sweeping lawns and majestic trees to intimate outside rooms.

The tour is presented each year by the Georgetown Garden Club, and is supported by the generous contributions of neighbors and local merchants; and benefits local environmental and beautification projects.

Address

Christ Church; 31st and O Streets NW,

Titans of Jewelry Design: The Tiffanys, Fabergé, Lalique, and Cartier

May 10th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | General Admission $130 | Tel: 202-633-3030 | Event Website

When we think of the pinnacle of fine jewelry, five names lead the list: Charles Lewis Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Carl Fabergé, Rene Laliqué, and Louis-Francois Cartier. Their firms rose to prominence by creating luxurious rings, brooches, tiaras, and other extravagant and elegant baubles for monarchs and the moneyed.

Art historian Stefanie Walker provides a guide to their glittering legacies.

Address

S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Drive SW

Men Against Breast Cancer’s Celebrating All Women For Mother’s Day! Pampering The Women We Love!

May 10th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $15 (Includes Med Spa Gift Card $50 value and one raffle ticket) | brian@menagainstbreastcancer.org | Tel: 202 495 8515 | Event Website

Please join Men Against Breast Cancer at the “Second Annual Pink & Blue Mother’s Day Pampering the Women We Love Event, hosted by the Men In Pink & Blue.

Address

L2 Lounge; 3315 Cady’s Alley Northwest (between 33rd and 34th off of M Street)

Besties & Boobies

May 10th, 2014 at 01:00 PM | $25-$40 | jasmine@otimwilliams.com | Tel: 202-286-3442 | Event Website

The Besty List, will present “Besties & Boobies,” an informative event teaching the secrets to wearing the perfect foundations & making your wardrobe shine this Spring. In addition, Besties & Boobies will donate to HopeWorks, formerly known as the Domestic Violence Center of Howard Count.

This interactive & intimate event is being sponsored by Eucalan,Essential Bodywear, LuvlyU, & Instyle Magazine’s Instyle Essentials.

Address

Helix Hotel; 1430 Rhode Island Avenue NW

Exhibition Opening: Designing for Disaster

May 11th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $5 – $8 | Tel: 202-272-2448 | Event Website

This new exhibition showcases how regional, community, and individual actions can reduce the impact of natural hazards. The exhibition will remain open through August 2, 2015.

Address

National Building Museum; 401 F Street NW

Mother’s Day Brunch at Salamander Resort & Spa

May 11th, 2014 at 10:00 AM | $85 per adult and $35 per child | reservations@salamanderresort.com | Tel: 866.938.7370 | Event Website

On Sunday, May 11, the resort is introducing its first Mother’s Day Brunch Buffet in the Middleburg Ballroom filled with sweet and savory options for the family. Salamander is offering three seating times: 10-10:30 a.m., 1-1:30 p.m. and 3:30-4 p.m. The cost is $85 per adult and $35 per child and includes complimentary digital family portraits as well as an opportunity for children to build their own kite to fly out on the terrace.

Address

500 N. Pendleton Street Middleburg, VA 20117

Mother’s Day Brunch

May 11th, 2014 at 10:30 AM | $ 95.00 | thegrillroom.dc@capellahotels.com | Tel: 202-617-2424 | Event Website

Mother’s Day Brunch will be a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday. Mom’s will be pampered & well taken care of by the Grill Room servers, pouring Champagne or Rye punch tableside. Signature breakfast items like Belgian Waffles & French Toast will be passed around. Signature items such as beef wellington will be carved table side with seasonal sides of apple wood smoked mashed potatoes & meyer lemon & spring pea risotto. Freshly shucked oysters will be presented tableside for all to enjoy.

Address

The Grill Room; at Capella Washington D.C.; 1050 31st Street NW

Busboys and Poets Presents THE ADMISSION

May 11th, 2014 at 03:00 PM | General: $35; Student/Senior: $25 | Admission@busboysandpoets.com | Tel: 202-332-6432 | Event Website

“The Admission,” Motti Lerner’s acclaimed and controversial play, is presented at Studio Theatre in workshop form by Busboys and Poets. This Israeli homage to Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” focuses on a wounded veteran’s truth-searching mission surrounding the murder of Palestinian villagers by a unit commanded by his father 40 years earlier. After each performance, there will be open discussions with cast members & community leaders.
Address

1501 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

Reasons to Hang in Georgetown This Weekend
• May 9, 2014

Why stay in Georgetown this weekend? It’s going to be another beautiful weekend, and there is no place you’ll rather be than Georgetown with great deals and events happening all weekend.

11th Annual French Market

The 11th annual French Market “one of the most anticipated shopping weekends of the year” goes on from Friday, April 25, to Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Organized by the Georgetown Business Improvement District, the market is in the Book Hill Neighborhood of Georgetown, which constitutes upper Wisconsin Avenue between P Street and Reservoir Road, and evokes a Parisian “open air market and sidewalk sale.”
For the market, vendors come from all over the Book Hill Neighborhood offering a variety of goods. With shopping deals of up to 75 percent off, a large showcasing of antique and art galleries, and plenty of delicious treats, the market has something for everyone. In addition, the market features entertainment such as live music, mimes and face painting, making it a perfect place to hangout with the family. With an assortment of over 30 vendors, some of the vendors featured include Macaron Bee, Ella Rue, Egg by Susan Lazar, and the Robert Brown Gallery.

83rd Georgetown House Tour

Want to see some Georgetown home chic? Looking for design ideas or just love houses and history? Saturday is your day. Now in its 83rd year, the Georgetown House Tour is one of the oldest house tours in the nation. Nine properties will be shown Saturday, April 26. It benefits the social programs of St. John’s Church. The tour will run 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — along with a Parish Tea in Blake Hall at the church on Saturday between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Ticket prices are $50 or $55. Visit www.GeorgetownHouseTour.com for details, or call 202-338-2287.

Pandora Opening Party

Starting off a weekend of great shopping, on Thursday from noon to eight, jewelry maker Pandora is holding a daylong in-store event to celebrate its opening with the help of Lucky accessories editor Meilissa Lum and local blogger Lacey Maffettone of “A Lacey Perspective.” The event will also feature treats courtesy of Olivia Macaron, and starting at 6 p.m. you can sip Champagne, while mingling with style experts. Swing by 3213 M St., NW for the fun.

Shop House Benefits for Dog Tag Bakery

Stick around Georgetown for part of Sunday afternoon and evening for another great deal benefitting both your bank account and community. Dog Tag Bakery, a non-profit and bakery business opening on Grace Street later this summer, will partner with Shop House for a deal you should not pass up. If you come to the Shop House in Georgetown at 2805 M St., NW, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and mention “Dog Tag” receive 50 percent off your purchase with all of the proceeds donated to Dog Tag.

Weekend Round Up April 24, 2014
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Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield

May 22nd, 2014 at 08:00 AM | Tickets $20 ($15 for George Town Club members) | richard@georgetowner.com | Tel: 202. 338.4833 | Event Website

Join us for the Georgetown Media Group’s next Cultural Leadership Breakfast featuring Jenny Bilfield, President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts. The event will take place Thursday, May 22, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the George Town Club, 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The cost is $20 ($15 for George Town Club members). To RSVP by May 16, please email Richard@Georgetowner.com or call 202-338-4833.

Address

George Town Club; 1530 Wisconsin Avenue, NW

The Casey Trees Canopy Awards

April 24th, 2014 at 06:30 PM | Early-Bird Registration: $45; At-the-Door Registration: $55 | development@caseytrees.org | Tel: 2028857311 | Event Website

On Arbor Day Eve, the Inaugural Casey Trees Canopy Awards will honor some of the most dedicated people and projects working to restore, enhance and protect trees across the metro D.C. area.
There will be no shortage of fun throughout the night as we treat attendees to great food, drinks, live music and games. There will also be a silent auction filled with incredible items and amazing package offers. All proceeds will support Casey Trees tree planting and education initiatives across the region.

Address

DOCK5 at Union Market; 1309 5th Street NE

Book Talk: John Taliaferro, “All the Great Prizes”

April 24th, 2014 at 06:00 PM | $10 | SMiraminy@savingplaces.org | Tel: 202-829-0436 x31232 | Event Website

John Taliaferro, author of “All the Great Prizes: The Life of John Hay, from Lincoln to Roosevelt,” examines the extraordinary life of John Hay on Thursday, April 24 2014 at “Cottage Conversations” at President Lincoln’s Cottage. “Cottage Conversations” offers a relaxing evening to socialize and learn something new about our 16th president in his Washington home. The program starts with a cocktail reception, is followed by the lecture and concludes with a book signing.

Address

President Lincoln’s Cottage; 140 Rock Creek Church Road NW

Twentythirtysomething Book Club

April 24th, 2014 at 07:30 PM | Free | erika.rydberg@dc.gov | Tel: 202-727-0232 | Event Website

Are you a local D.C. reader between the ages of 21 and 35? Looking for a more casual book club experience? Then join the Georgetown Neighborhood Library for Twentythirtysomething Book Club (T.T.B.C.), a new book group for younger adults (just featured in Daily Candy -http://www.dailycandy.com/washington-dc/article/171174/Washington-DC-Events-and-Diversions).
For our April selection We’ll be discussing the book “Gulp”.

For more information and to RSVP please check out our MeetUp.com page.

Address

Breadsoda; 2233 Wisconsin Ave NW

Parisian Sidewalk Sale for the 11th Annual French Market

April 25th, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Georgetown’s 11th Annual French Market returns to the charming Book Hill neighborhood on upper Wisconsin Ave, between P Street and Reservoir Road, on Friday and Saturday, April 25th & 26th, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The two-day event will bring fashion finds from local boutiques, traditional French fare, quaint home and antique shops, and live music. The Georgetown French Market is hosted and sponsored by the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID).

Address

Upper Wisconsin Ave, between P Street and Reservoir Road

MOMIX Botanica

April 25th, 2014 at 08:00 PM | Tel: (202) 785-9727 | Event Website

With an eclectic score ranging from birdsong to Vivaldi, Botanica shows off the endlessly renewable energy of the superb MOMIX performers, with costumes, projections, and custom-made props and puppetry adding an extra dose of fantasy to the elixir. This is dance at its most organic and inventive. The seasons will never be the same. Presented by Washington Performing Arts, GW Lisner Auditorium and CityDance.

Address

GW Lisner Auditorium (731 21st St NW Washington, DC 20052)

Happy Hour with 5×5 Artists

April 25th, 2014 at 05:30 PM | Free

Join DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and Washington Project for the Arts in an Artist Happy Hour with 5×5 artists Nora and Eliza Morse. Hear about the world they will create for 5×5 and enjoy a free happy hour to mix and mingle with other artists.

Address

Capitol Skyline Hotel10 I (eye) street SW

Annual Christ Church Art Show and Sale

April 26th, 2014 at 11:00 AM | Free

Attend the Annual Christ Church Art Show and Sale, Saturday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Address

Christ Church Georgetown, 31st and O Streets, NW

Oatlands Spring Gala 2014

April 26th, 2014 at 07:00 PM | Tables of 10 available at $2000. Individual tickets available at $225. | tmcneal@oatlands.org | Tel: Trish McNeal at 703-777-3174 x15 | Event Website

A wonderful evening of dining and dancing under an elegant tent on the front lawn of Oatlands’ 1804 mansion. Silent and live auctions with one-of-a-kind items and adventures. Black-tie.

Cocktails at 7 pm & Dinner at 8 pm

Address

Oatlands Historic House and Gardens; 20850 Oatlands Plantation Lane; Leesburg, VA 20175

Rueda de la Calle DC

April 26th, 2014 at 01:00 PM | FREE | frisco714@gmail.com | Tel: n/a | Event Website

Please join us for some solid Rueda de Casino dance time at Dupont Circle on Saturday, April 26th from 1:00pm – 3:00pm for Rueda de la Calle DC.

Address

Dupont at the Circle; 1604 19th St. NW

Jackson Art Center Children’s Painting Workshops

April 26th, 2014 at 03:00 PM | Free | jacksonartcenter@gmail.com | Tel: 301-654-7113 | Event Website

Georgetown’s Jackson Art Center invites families to its
Open Studios Preview Day: Two painting workshops for younger and older children, plus open artists studios to roam around. The Saturday Preview is held the day before Jackson’s main Open Studios on Sunday.
Both Open Studios events are free and open to the public. No reservations required, all materials supplied.
Address

Jackson Art Center; 3050 R Street, NW

Tango! Soul and Heart: A Celebration of Argentine Music and Dance

April 27th, 2014 at 05:00 PM | $15-$75 | choralarts@choralarts.org | Tel: 202-244-3669 | Event Website

Tango! Soul and Heart begins with two spiritual pieces. Lamentations of Jeremiah is a sacred a cappella motet by Alberto Ginastera. The centerpiece of the concert is Luis Bacalov’s Misa Tango, a mass with Tango rhythms. The second half find singers and dancers performing Tango. Experience the passion of the Tango – the soul and heart of Argentina!

Address

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; 2700 F Street NW

Retailer Alice and Olivia Set to Make Mid-Atlantic Debut in Georgetown
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Women’s clothing boutique Alice and Olivia has signed a 10-year lease to make its Mid-Atlantic debut at 3303 M St., NW, EastBanc, Inc., announced April 28. The 2,400-square-foot retail space on M Street has been vacant since Qdoba Mexican Grill closed its doors in January.

The high-end apparel company is slated to open in September. According to EastBanc, Inc., the lease begins immediately and Alice and Olivia will start renovations right away.

Alice and Olivia is an upscale women’s clothing brand designed by founder Stacey Bendet, who launched the brand in 2002. The collection is full of color, florals and modern black and white pieces with an edgy flare. Bendet is best known for her bold bell bottom pants, pulling in vintage pieces to her contemporary collections.

Celebrity fans of the brand include Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Drew Barrymore, Taylor Swift and Jamie Chung. Alice and Olivia is headquartered in New York City and is currently available at 13 free-standing boutiques in New York, California, Connecticut and Hong Kong, at more than 800 select department and specialty stores worldwide. Take a sneak peak at www.aliceandolivia.com before it hits the streets of Georgetown.
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Georgetown Senior Center Receives Donation
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The Georgetowner, in partnership with EagleBank, presents the Georgetown Senior Center with a check representing the proceeds of this past year’s Holiday Pop Shop. As the beneficiary, the Georgetown Senior Center received $5,000. Don’t miss its upcoming Spring Cocktail Reception on May 1. For more information visit stantonparkdc.com/georgetownseniorcenter.

Providential President
• May 7, 2014

It is one of the givens in the litany of American bedrock beliefs that many people dream of and aspire to be president. That anyone can become president is one of the most enduring of those beliefs.

John J. “Jack” DeGioia, when he was a mass-once-a-day high school kid in Orange, Conn., probably did not grow up dreaming of becoming president. But that’s what he is.
The 57-year-old DeGioia has been president of Georgetown University since 2001, and it’s probably a much better job than being President of the United States, given Barack Obama’s recent approval ratings and the difficulty he’s had getting things done.

DeGioia’s rise to the presidency of the nation’s oldest Catholic institution of higher learning was unprecedented when he became the first layman – the first non-priest and married man – to lead Georgetown, founded in 1789 by Jesuits while their order was banned by the pope. Although the event echoed some Jesuit and Vatican views of increasing lay participation in Catholic Church administrative roles, this seemed at the time a highly improbable result.

Nevertheless, given the nature of DeGioia’s life and career at Georgetown, it appears almost inevitable, or, as one Jesuit among the decision-makers said, “providential.”
Just listening to and watching DeGioia in the president’s office on the second floor of Healy Hall is to get a sense why this man was practically born to the job.

Smart, intellectual, pragmatic, a teacher and a data person, with 13 years of presidential experience providing the wind at his back, he can bring weight and a presence into any discussion, be it policy-centered, plan-oriented or theological.

He appears most at home with architectural schematics for yet another university physical expansion, real or in the planning stages; theological or historical discussions on Jesuit thinking and philosophy in general; presentations of economic impact studies; or the numbers behind outreach and opening up more availability of assistance and scholarships to students who are worthy and needful.

If you want to sum up DeGioia in one word, pick the first one that comes to mind. It just might be simply that he is a genuine, authentic enthusiast.

Dealing with two questioners from The Georgetowner, he is mindful, like a theater-in-the-round actor, of responding in both directions. His arms and hands fly out frequently. His really white, white shirt seems to be on fire with white, and – especially when he talks about the special nature of the university, and his place and history in it – his voice rises to the level of a man talking about his most cherished possessions and beliefs.

“When I got here in 1975, I was a freshman like all the rest,” he said. “I had help, but this is the place where I wanted to be and where I think I belonged. In my first year, I was a hall monitor in a dorm, and you got a pretty good sense of student life that way. Father [Timothy] Healy was president, and he was a man who had been tasked into making Georgetown a presence in the United States, and I think he did that.”

DeGioia was an English major. He earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and still teaches a course in philosophy. One of his influences was the great philosophy professor Wilfrid Desan. “I went to him and asked him for advice,” DeGioia recalled. “He said, ‘Learn how to write.’ ” Not bad advice for living in academia, where writing – papers, theses, books, speeches – is like inhaling.

A student athlete, DeGioia started a chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and planned a first meeting. “I put up signs everywhere,” he said. “One person showed up. Guess who?”

It was coach John Thompson, who was in the early stages of turning Georgetown basketball into a national power, resulting in three Final Four appearances and an NCAA national title. That first appearance – in which the Hoyas lost a heartbreaker – captivated not only the university but the city, and changed perceptions of the role of the university in relationship to the city. In 1984, the Hoyas won it all.

Of Thompson, DeGioia said, “He has the soundest moral foundation. … You can knock that bell from every angle and it comes up true.”

Meanwhile, DeGioia, in addition to teaching, was busy. He became an assistant to President Healy and then dean of student affairs. After Healy’s retirement, he was tapped by President Leo O’Donovan, S.J., to deal with the financial problems of Georgetown’s teaching and operating hospital. By all accounts, he handled them deftly, preserving the teaching aspects while leading the transfer of operations to MedStar.

“I think I’ve been very lucky in terms of the people I’ve come in contact with here,” DeGioia said. “Every time I was tasked with something new and different, I was given the opportunity to learn more, and I took them, going to Wharton Business School, taking management courses and so on. My education never stopped.”

In 2001, when he was a senior vice president, O’Donovan was retiring. “I was advised to put in for the job,” DeGioia said. “People suggested that I interview but I never thought it was anything serious. There had never been a lay president before, and I thought people were being polite.”

The board of directors hired DeGioia, which was a “complete surprise and a complete life changer.” And a challenge.

Yet in many ways, DeGioia had already acquired the skill sets required of a modern university president, especially this one.

One quote that was prevalent at the time was, “Nobody knew more about the university except God.” Certainly, he had been involved with all aspects of the university: its physical plant, relations with the student body and community, its philosophical and religious base and its educational needs, plus the plans for outreach and expansion.
Still, it was a steep rise for the young man from a middle class background in Connecticut. He and his wife, Theresa Miller DeGioia, have a young son. Both are Georgetown alumni. At the time of his selection, one observer quipped that the university had “lost a priest but gained a father.”

Georgetown University is the oldest university in Washington. It is probably the university with the highest national and international profile in the city.

“We’re part of a rich academic community in this city,” DeGioia said. “We are all involved in responding to the growth of the city, and in managing our own growth and resources.”

Georgetown University’s relationship with the Georgetown neighborhood is a study in ironic, sometimes difficult symbiosis. There are always town-gown issues in a community with a university. Here, the relationship has been an up-and-down one. The village – which has not always been the prosperous, wealthy community that it’s perceived to be – has derived a good deal of its tony reputation from proximity to the university as well as the presence of movers and shakers, from presidents-to-be to ambassadors and cabinet holders, often Georgetown graduates.

“It’s the greatest campus in the greatest neighborhood in the City of Washington,” DeGioia said.
Yet, the growth of the university, with students living off campus and numerous construction projects, have sometimes incited opposition and anger in parts of the community.

That’s a problem DeGioia has addressed directly during the course of two different campus master plans and through a recent “peace treaty” with Georgetown residents and business groups. Its Georgetown Community Partnership is considered a model of cooperation.

Conversely, the village and city have given certain benefits to the university. DeGioia happily noted, “We can compete better on many levels nationally by saying we’re in Washington.”

Under DeGioia, the university’s vision has gone outside itself. It has expanded with locations in the city – a new downtown campus on Massachusetts Avenue, for instance – and in the world. The number of student dormitory beds has grown to 5,000-plus from 1,500. It also created a highly regarded arts center and an ambitious performance program to go with it. The university’s School of Foreign Service has a campus in Qatar.

“If we’re going to be global, it’s important that we be the strongest possible university right here in Washington,” DeGioia said.

And, now, there’s a Jesuit pope. Pope Francis is the first-ever pontiff from the Society of Jesus.

“It certainly has had an impact,” DeGioia said. “There are renewed conversations about the Jesuit spirit and philosophy and the Vatican on campus.”

DeGioia has taken a few hits. Allowing outgoing Health and Human Services Secretary Katherine Sibelius to speak on campus drew fire from church officials. His spirited, eloquent defense of Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke after she was attacked by conservative pit bull Rush Limbaugh generally drew praise.

“Every day, when I walk around the campus, I know I have the best job in the world for me,” said DeGioia, a happy-to-be-up-in-the-morning enthusiast, who will soon become the university’s longest-serving president.

“This place, this community of faith and knowledge, of students and priests. This place is special to me in ways you can’t imagine. I still love to teach. We’re expanding areas of cooperation. We’re making it possible to have more and more deserving people come here.”

You listen to him talk, the face expressive, the hands moving, and you see him as a leader, a people person, reaching out, into the world.

The other president should be so lucky to feel this good.