The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is a regional orchestra based in Fairfax, Virginia , founded in 1957.
98-650: Currently, the Fairfax Symphony plays at the George Mason University Center for the Arts Concert Hall. Notable members from past and present include Maestro Christopher Zimmerman, music director since 2009; Maestro William Hudson, music director from 1972 to 2009; Daniel E. Gawthrop who was for three years the FSO's composer -in-residence; and Gregory Rupert, the FSO's principal violist , noted as one of
196-451: A residential college for traditional students with an emphasis on combining modern practice-based professional education with a comprehensive traditional liberal arts curriculum while maintaining its historic commuter student -inclusive environment at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. The university operates four campuses in Virginia . The university's flagship campus
294-467: A 21% increase in the number of applications, has enrolled 4% more new degree-seeking students, and has seen the percentage of undergraduate and graduate applications accepted each decrease by 4%. Law applications accepted increased by 10%. Mason enrolled 33,917 students for fall 2013, up 956 (+3%) from fall 2012. Undergraduate students made up 65% (21,990) of the fall enrollment, graduate students 34% (11,399), and law students 2% (528). Undergraduate headcount
392-403: A degree-granting institution. During that same year, the local jurisdictions of Fairfax County , Arlington County , and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church agreed to appropriate $ 3 million to purchase land adjacent to Mason to provide for a 600-acre (240-hectare) Fairfax Campus with the intention that the institution would expand into a regional university of major proportions, including
490-453: A few weeks after the surrender of British Army troops under General Cornwallis at Yorktown , Fairfax died at his home at Greenway Court on December 9, 1781, at the age of 90. He was entombed on the east side of Christ Church in Winchester . While his plans for a large house at Greenway Court never materialized, and his stone lodge is now gone, a small limestone structure he built remains on
588-669: A hunting lodge named "Greenway Court", which was located near White Post in Clarke County near the Blue Ridge Mountains , and moved there. Around 1748, he George Washington , who was then 16-years-old. Impressed with Washington's energy and talents, he employed him to survey his lands west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Lord Fairfax maintained neutrality as the American Revolutionary War began in 1775. Just
686-604: A large Vietnamese American community, and the region is home to a small Tibetan American community. There is a sizable Hispanic population, primarily consisting of Salvadorans , Peruvians , Puerto Ricans , Cubans , Bolivians , Mexicans , and Colombians . Arlington is the center of the largest Bolivian community in North America (mostly immigrants from Cochabamba ). Many of these immigrants work in transportation-related fields, small businesses, hospitality, vending, gardening, construction, and cleaning. Of those born in
784-399: A mechanism for regional coordination regarding the environment, transportation, affordable housing, community planning, military, and human services. Programs and projects address a wide array of local government interests. According to Virginia's Regional Cooperation Act, NVRC is a political subdivision. The region is technically referred to as Virginia's planning district #8. The commission
882-629: A press conference to announce the university's decision to leave the Colonial Athletic Association to join the Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10). The announcement came just days after the Board of Visitors' approval of the university's vision document that Cabrera had overseen. Mason began competition in the A-10 during the 2013–2014 academic year. The Chronicle of Higher Education listed Mason as one of
980-621: A result, several battles were fought in the area . Northern Virginia was the operating area of John Singleton Mosby , a Confederate partisan, and several small skirmishes were fought throughout the region between his Rangers and Federal forces occupying Northern Virginia. Following the end of the Civil War, the conflict remained popular among the region's residents, and many area schools, roads, and parks were named for Confederate generals and statesmen, including Jefferson Davis Highway , Washington-Lee High School , and others. Virginia split during
1078-459: A total population of 1,973,513 is highly educated, with 55.5 percent of its population 25 years or older holding a bachelor's degree or higher. This is comparable to Seattle , the most educated large city in the U.S., with 53.4 percent of residents having at least a bachelor's degree. The number of graduate/professional degree holders in Arlington is relatively high at 34.3 percent, nearly quadruple
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#17328836975931176-590: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . George Mason University George Mason University ( GMU ) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia , United States. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C. , the university is named in honor of George Mason , a Founding Father of the United States . George Mason was founded in 1949 as a northern branch of
1274-714: Is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the university. Open to students in August 2012 after breaking ground on the project on June 29, 2011, the primary focus of the campus is global conservation training. The Volgenau Academic Center includes three teaching laboratories, four classrooms, and 18 offices. Shenandoah National Park is visible from the dining facility's indoor and outdoor seating. Living quarters include 60 double occupancy rooms, an exercise facility, and study space. Opened in March 2014, Mason Korea
1372-542: Is a place name rather than a direction or general area. The name "Northern Virginia" does not seem to have been used in the early history of the area. According to Johnston, some early documents and land grants refer to the "Northern Neck of Virginia", a reference to the Northern Neck and describing an area that began at the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay and includes a territory that extended west, including all
1470-602: Is a regional government that represents a regional council of thirteen member Northern Virginia local governments. These local governments include the counties of Arlington , Fairfax , Loudoun , and Prince William . The local governments include the incorporated cities of Alexandria , Fairfax , Falls Church , Manassas , and Manassas Park . The local governments also include the incorporated towns of Dumfries , Herndon , Leesburg , and Vienna . NVRC's chief roles and functions are providing information, performing professional and technical services for its members, and serving as
1568-600: Is approximately 20 miles (32 km) from campus. Notable buildings include the 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m ) student union building, the Johnson Center; the Center for the Arts, a 2,000-seat concert hall; the 180,000-square-foot (17,000 m ) Long and Kimmy Nguyen Engineering Building; Exploratory Hall for science, new in 2013; an astronomy observatory and telescope; the 88,900-square-foot (8,260 m ) Art and Design Building;
1666-461: Is focused on health, sustainability and security. In health, researchers focus is on wellness, disease prevention, advanced diagnostics and biomedical analytics. Sustainability research examines climate change, natural disaster forecasting, and risk assessment. Mason's security experts study domestic and international security as well as cyber security. The university is home to numerous research centers and institutes. Students have often decorated
1764-521: Is home to people from diverse backgrounds, with significant numbers of Korean Americans , Vietnamese Americans , Bangladeshi Americans , Chinese Americans , Filipino Americans , Russian Americans , Arab Americans , Palestinian Americans , Uzbek Americans , Afghan Americans , Ethiopian Americans , Indian Americans , Iranian Americans , Thai Americans , and Pakistani Americans . Annandale , Centreville , Chantilly , and Fairfax City have very large Korean American communities. Falls Church has
1862-651: Is in Fairfax, Virginia . Its other three campuses are in Arlington , Front Royal , and Prince William County . It also operates a retreat and conference center in Lorton and an international campus in Incheon , South Korea. In 1949, the University of Virginia created an extension center to serve mid-career working professionals and non-traditional students near urban centers in
1960-688: Is located in the Songdo International Business District in South Korea , a 42,000-acre (17,000-hectare) site designed for 850,000 people. It is located 25 miles (40 km) from Seoul and a two-hour flight from China and Japan , and is connected to the Seoul Metropolitan Subway . The Commonwealth of Virginia considers the Songdo campus legally no different from any other Mason campus: "... board of visitors shall have
2058-653: The Charles Koch Foundation and Federalist Society , were given direct influence over faculty hiring decisions at the university's law and economics schools. GMU President Ángel Cabrera acknowledged that the revelations raised questions about the university's academic integrity and pledged to prohibit donors from sitting on faculty selection committees in the future. Cabrera resigned his position on July 31, 2019, to become president of Georgia Tech . Following Cabrera's resignation, Anne B. Holton served as interim president until June 30, 2020. On February 24, 2020,
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#17328836975932156-698: The Cold War was influential in launching the modern Northern Virginia economy and spurred urban development throughout the region. After end of the Cold War in 1991, prosperity continued in the region as it positioned itself as the " Silicon Valley " of the Eastern United States . The Internet was first commercialized in Northern Virginia, which served as the headquarters of many of the first Internet service providers . The first major interconnection point of
2254-458: The Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The region radiates westward and southward from Washington, D.C. , the nation's capital, and has a population of 3,257,133 people as of 2023 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, representing over a third of the state's total population. It is the most populous region in both Virginia and the regional Washington metropolitan area . Communities in
2352-583: The Internet bubble burst , however, Northern Virginia office vacancy rates increased from two percent in 2000 to 20 percent in 2002. After 2002, vacancy rates improved, falling below 10 percent as defense spending increased following the September 11 attacks . The subsequent Afghanistan and Iraq wars also contributed to the region's growth, as the federal government increased its contracting with private defense firms. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC)
2450-630: The Mercatus Center , and the Institute for Humane Studies . The campus also houses the 300-seat Van Metre Hall Auditorium. A new building, Fuse at Mason Square, is scheduled to be completed in 2025. The campus is served by the Washington Metro 's Orange Line at the Virginia Square–GMU station , a campus shuttle service, and Metrobus route 38B. The rail station is located one block west of
2548-491: The Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. The extension center offered both for credit and non-credit informal classes in the evenings at various pre-existing venues. The first for credit classes offered were: "Government in the Far East, Introduction to International Politics, English Composition, Principles of Economics, Mathematical Analysis, Introduction to Mathematical Statistics, and Principles of Lip Reading." By
2646-534: The Potomac River below the fall line , not far from his plantation at Mount Vernon in Fairfax County . During much of the colonial era and from 1790 to 1800, the nation's capital was in Philadelphia . In 1800, however, with Washington's guidance and support, the new federal city of present-day Washington, D.C. was laid out and established for the purpose of serving as the national capital. The region straddled
2744-687: The School of Law and the new Arlington Campus. The university also became a doctoral institution. Toward the end of Johnson's term, Mason would be deep in planning for a third campus in Prince William County at Manassas . Major campus facilities, such as Student Union Building II, EagleBank Arena , Center for the Arts, and the Johnson Learning Center, were all constructed over the course of Johnson's eighteen years as University President. Enrollment once again more than doubled from 10,767 during
2842-655: The U.S. federal government . Tourist attractions in Northern Virginia include various memorials, museums, and Colonial and Civil War –era sites, including Arlington National Cemetery , Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park , Manassas National Battlefield Park , Mount Vernon , the National Museum of the Marine Corps , the National Museum of the United States Army , the Udvar-Hazy Center of
2940-596: The University of Virginia and became an independent university in 1972. It has since grown into the largest public university by student enrollment in Virginia . The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Since the university's founding, two of its economics professors have received the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics : James M. Buchanan in 1986 and Vernon L. Smith in 2002. The university has expanded into
3038-476: The Virginia Declaration of Rights which was later the basis for the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights . Beside Mason is a model of a writing table that is still in the study of Gunston Hall , Mason's Virginia estate. The books on the table, volumes of Hume , Locke ,and Rousseau , represent influences in his thought. In 2021, an Enslaved People of George Mason Monument designed by Perkins & Will
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3136-577: The "Great Colleges to Work For" from 2010 to 2014. The Washington Post listed Mason as one of the "Top Workplaces" in 2014. The WorldatWork Alliance for Work-Life Progress awarded Mason the Seal of Distinction in 2015. The AARP listed Mason as one of the Best Employers for Workers Over 50 in 2013. Phi Beta Kappa established a chapter at the university in 2013. In 2018, a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit revealed that conservative donors, including
3234-994: The "Northern Neck". In 1746, a back line was surveyed and established between the headwaters of the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, defining the west end of the grants. According to documents held by the Handley Regional Library of the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society, the grant of 5,282,000 acres (21,380 km ) included 22 modern counties, including Northumberland, Lancaster, Westmoreland, Stafford, King George, Prince William, Fairfax, Loudoun, Fauquier, Rappahannock, Culpeper, Madison, Clarke, Warren, Page, Shenandoah, and Frederick counties in Virginia, and Hardy, Hampshire, Morgan, Berkeley, and Jefferson counties in West Virginia . Lord Fairfax
3332-529: The 2019 American Community Survey . Northern Virginia's transportation infrastructure includes two major airports, Ronald Reagan Washington National and Dulles International Airport , several lines of the Washington Metro subway system, the Virginia Railway Express suburban commuter rail system, transit bus services, bicycle sharing and bicycle lanes and trails, and an extensive network of Interstate highways and expressways. The Pentagon ,
3430-643: The 3,159,639 people in Northern Virginia in the 2019 estimates, 2,776,960 lived in "central" counties, or those counties and equivalent entities as delineated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as forming part of the urban core of the Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. These counties include Arlington , Fairfax , Fauquier , Loudoun , Prince William , Stafford and the independent cities of Alexandria , Fairfax , Falls Church , Manassas , Manassas Park and Fredericksburg . An additional 390,679 people lived in counties of
3528-624: The American Civil War, as was foreshadowed by the April 17, 1861, Virginia Secession Convention . Fifty counties in the western, mountainous portion of the state were largely opposed to secession in 1861. This region broke away from the Confederacy in 1863 and entered the Union as a new state, West Virginia . Unlike the eastern part of the state, West Virginia did not have fertile lands tilled by slaves and
3626-503: The Board of Visitors appointed Gregory Washington as the university's eighth president, and he assumed that role on July 1, 2020. Washington is the university's first African-American president. On March 23, 2020, George Mason shifted to exclusively online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic . Hybrid instruction occurred during the Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Fall 2021 semesters during which
3724-683: The Fall of 1964 the new campus welcomed 356 students. In 1966, in the Virginia General Assembly , Alexandria delegate James M. Thomson , with the backing of the University of Virginia, introduced a bill in the General Assembly to make George Mason College a four-year institution under the University of Virginia's direction. The measure, known as H 33, passed the Assembly easily and was approved on March 1, 1966, making George Mason College
3822-570: The G.T. Halpin Family Living & Learning Community is on the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation campus. 6,961 miles (11,203 km) west of Fairfax, Student's Hall and Guest House are on the Songdo campus. Student organizations can have an academic, social, athletic, religious/irreligious, career, or just about any other focus. The university recognizes 500 such groups. Mason sponsors several student-run media outlets through
3920-650: The George Mason statue on the Fairfax campus for events. Some have rubbed the statue toe to bring good luck. Many pose with the statue for graduation photographs. Between 1988 and 1990 Anthony Maiello wrote the original George Mason Fight Song , which was edited by Michael Nickens in 2009. Each spring, student organizations at Mason compete to paint one of the 38 benches located on the Quad in front of Fenwick Library. For years, student organizations have painted those benches that line
4018-521: The Internet, MAE-East , was established in the 1990s in Ashburn after Virginia-area network provider operators decided to connect their networks. This infrastructure legacy is ongoing, as data center operators continue to expand near these facilities. In early 2001, local Internet company AOL bought Time Warner , the world's largest traditional media company, near the end of the dot-com bubble era. After
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4116-649: The National Air and Space Museum , and the United States Marine Corps War Memorial . Other attractions include portions of the Appalachian Trail , Great Falls Park , Old Town Alexandria , Prince William Forest Park , and portions of Shenandoah National Park . The region is sometimes spelled "northern Virginia", but the U.S. Geological Survey 's Correspondence Handbook states that the 'n' in Northern Virginia should be capitalized since it
4214-870: The National Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I, the Atlantic 10, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL), and the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes of America (IC4A). Northern Virginia Northern Virginia , locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA , comprises several counties and independent cities in
4312-511: The Office of Student Media. Mason has 42 fraternities and sororities recognized by the university, with a total Greek population of about 1,800. Mason does not have a traditional "Greek Row" of housing specifically for fraternities, although recruitment, charitable events—including a spring Greek Week—and other chapter activities take place on the Fairfax Campus. The George Mason Patriots are
4410-488: The Potomac River and was located on a square of territory ceded to the federal government by Maryland and Virginia. Alexandria, a port city at the time, was on the eastern edge south of the river. On the outskirts on the northern side of the river, was Georgetown , another port city. As the federal city grew, land in the portion contributed by Maryland proved best suited and adequate for early development. Not really part of
4508-432: The Townhouses. On the eastern edge of the Fairfax campus lies Masonvale, houses intended for graduate students and visiting faculty. On the southern edge of the Fairfax campus are President's Park, Liberty Square, and Potomac Heights. On the western side of the Fairfax campus, near Ox Road/Rt 123, are the Mason Global Center , Whitetop, and Rogers. The Student Apartments off Aquia Creek Lane were torn down in 2019. Closer to
4606-531: The U.S. and living in Northern Virginia's four largest counties, their place of birth by census region is 60.5 percent from the South , 21.0 percent from the Northeast , 11.5 percent from the Midwest , and 7.0 percent from the West . 33.7 percent were born in Virginia, which is categorized as part of the Southern United States along with neighboring Maryland and Washington, D.C., by the Census Bureau. The core Northern Virginia jurisdictions of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William comprising
4704-639: The Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area or the Baltimore-Washington Combined Statistical Area not considered "central." These counties, largely considered exurban or undergoing suburban change, include Clarke , Culpeper , Frederick , Madison , Rappahannock , Spotsylvania , Warren , and the independent city of Winchester . In addition, there are counties outside of the Washington Metropolitan Area that under more broad definitions are referred to as being part of Northern Virginia. The University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service categorizes King George County as part of Northern Virginia, though
4802-526: The athletic teams of George Mason University located in Fairfax, Virginia. The Patriots compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most sports. About 485 student-athletes compete in 22 men's and women's Division I sports – baseball, basketball, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Intercollegiate men's and women's teams are members of
4900-844: The campus. Arlington Rapid Transit or ART Bus routes 41, 42, and 75 also provide service at this location. The campus offers one electric vehicle charging station, five disabled permit automotive parking locations, three bicycle parking locations, and one Capital Bikeshare location. The Science and Technology campus opened on August 25, 1997, as the Prince William campus in Manassas, Virginia , on 134 acres (54 hectares) of land, some still currently undeveloped. More than 4,000 students are enrolled in classes in bioinformatics , biotechnology , information technology, and forensic biosciences educational and research programs. There are undergraduate programs in health, fitness and recreation. There are graduate programs in exercise, fitness, health, geographic information systems, and facility management. Much of
4998-437: The center of the Fairfax campus are the residence halls along Chesapeake Lane, named: Northern Neck, Commonwealth, Blue Ridge, Sandbridge, Piedmont, and Tidewater, as well as Hampton Roads, Dominion, Eastern Shore, and the Commons. At the Science and Technology (SciTech) campus near Manassas, Virginia, 21 miles (34 km) west of Fairfax, Beacon Hall was designed for graduate student housing. 54 miles (87 km) west of Fairfax,
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#17328836975935096-463: The city limits to the University of Virginia for the college's new site, which is now referred to as the Fairfax Campus . In 1959, the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia selected a permanent name for the college: George Mason College of the University of Virginia. The Fairfax campus construction planning that began in early 1960 showed visible results when the development of the first 40 acres (16 hectares) of Fairfax Campus began in 1962. In
5194-559: The colony forced Culpeper to return. By the time he arrived, however, the riots were already quelled. After apparently misappropriating £9,500 from the treasury of the colony, he returned to England and the King was forced to dismiss him. During this tumultuous time, Culpeper's erratic behavior meant that he had to rely increasingly on his cousin and Virginia agent, Col. Nicholas Spencer . Spencer succeeded Culpeper as acting Governor following Culpeper's departure. Culpeper's descendants allowed Robert "King" Carter and other Virginians to manage
5292-406: The county was removed from the Washington Metropolitan Area in 2003. King George County and Orange County also include areas, such as Lake of the Woods , where the cross-commuting interchange with the Washington Metropolitan Area is high enough to merit inclusion in the Metropolitan Area, although more far-flung parts of these counties still cause the county-wide commuter interchange to fall below
5390-601: The end of 1952, enrollment was 1,192 students. A resolution of the Virginia General Assembly in January 1956 changed the extension center into University College, the Northern Virginia branch of the University of Virginia . John Norville Gibson Finley served as director. Seventeen freshmen students attended classes at University College in a small renovated elementary school building in Bailey's Crossroads starting in September 1957. In 1958 University College became George Mason College. The City of Fairfax purchased and donated 150 acres (60 hectares) of land just south of
5488-452: The environment, transportation, public safety, homeland security, affordable housing, community planning, and economic development. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, a component of MWCOG, is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for the metropolitan Washington area, including Northern Virginia. As of April 2020 there were 3,197,076 people in Northern Virginia; approximately 37 percent of
5586-470: The fall of 1978 to 24,368 in the spring of 1996. In 1996, Alan Merten , dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University was appointed the university's president. He believed that the university's location made it responsible for both contributing to and drawing from its surrounding communities—local, national, and global. George Mason was becoming recognized and acclaimed in all of these spheres. During Merten's tenure,
5684-470: The functioning federal city, citizens in Alexandria, who lacked voting input, were frustrated by the laws of the District's government. Slavery also arose as a contentious issue. In 1846, to mitigate these issues and as part of abolishing slave trading in the District, the U.S. Congress passed a bill retroceding to Virginia the area south of the Potomac River, which was then Alexandria County . That area now forms all of present-day Arlington County , which
5782-454: The granting of graduate degrees. In 1972, Virginia separated George Mason College from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and renamed it George Mason University. In 1978, George W. Johnson was appointed to serve as the fourth president. Under his eighteen-year tenure, the university expanded both its physical size and program offerings at a tremendous rate. Shortly before Johnson's inauguration in April 1979, Mason acquired
5880-518: The headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and the world's second-largest office , is located in Arlington County in Northern Virginia. Northern Virginia also houses the George Bush Center for Intelligence , the headquarters for the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley , the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria , and several large companies, including several major aerospace manufacturing , consulting firms , and defense industry , which serve it and other components of
5978-547: The independent cities and counties on the Virginia side of the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Office of the President of the United States . Northern Virginia includes six counties, Arlington , Fairfax , Loudoun , Prince William , Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, and six independent cities, Alexandria , Fairfax , Falls Church , Fredericksburg , Manassas , and Manassas Park . The Colony of Virginia
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#17328836975936076-402: The land between the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers, with a western boundary called the Fairfax line. The Fairfax line, surveyed in 1746, ran from the first spring of the Potomac River , which remains marked today by the Fairfax Stone , to the first spring of the Rappahannock River , at the head of the Conway River . The Northern Neck was composed of 5,282,000 acres (21,380 km ), and
6174-912: The language of instruction . Mason offers undergraduate, graduate master's, law, and doctoral degrees with an emphasis on combining modern practice-based professional education with a comprehensive traditional liberal arts curriculum. The student-faculty ratio is 17:1; 58 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 30 students and 30 percent of undergraduate classes have fewer than 20 students. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report ranked George Mason tied at #109 out of 436 National Universities, tied at #52 in Top Public Schools, #156 in Best Value Schools, tied at #98 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs at schools where doctorate not offered, tied at #114 in Nursing, tied at #93 in Economics, tied at #20 in Co-ops/Internships, tied at #70 in Best Colleges for Veterans, #25 in Most Innovative Schools, and tied at #82 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. In 2024,
6272-552: The newly expanded Fenwick Library, the Krasnow Institute ; and three fully appointed gyms and an aquatic center for student use. The stadiums for indoor and outdoor track and field, baseball, softball, tennis, soccer and lacrosse are also on the Fairfax campus, as is Masonvale, a housing community for faculty, staff and graduate students. The bronze statue of George Mason on campus was created by Wendy M. Ross and dedicated on April 12, 1996. The 7 1 / 2 foot statue shows George Mason presenting his first draft of
6370-419: The newly formed Confederate States of America , whose capital was established at Richmond . The U.S. Supreme Court has never issued a firm opinion on whether the retrocession of the Virginia portion of the District of Columbia was constitutional. In the 1875 case of Phillips v. Payne , the Supreme Court held that Virginia had de facto jurisdiction over the area returned by Congress in 1847, and dismissed
6468-446: The population and number of jurisdictions that comprise the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG). Founded in 1957, MWCOG is a regional organization of 22 Washington-area local governments, as well as area members of the Maryland and Virginia state legislatures, the U.S. Senate , and the U.S. House of Representatives . MWCOG provides a forum for discussion and the development of regional responses to issues regarding
6566-420: The properties. In 1736, legal claim to the land was finally established by Culpeper's grandson, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron , who became known in the colony as "Lord Fairfax", following a survey authorized by Governor William Gooch . The lands of Lord Fairfax and Northern Virginia were geographically defined as the land between the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers, and were officially called
6664-428: The public. The Sports Medicine Assessment Research and Testing lab stylized as SMART Lab is located within the Freedom center. The SMART Lab is most known for its concussion research. On April 23, 2015, the campus was renamed to the Science and Technology Campus. In 2019, the university engaged in a feasibility study of creating a medical school at the Prince William Campus. The campus in Front Royal, Virginia ,
6762-429: The rate of the U.S. population as a whole. The region is known in Virginia and the Washington metropolitan area for its relative affluence. Stafford County in Northern Virginia is one of the seven counties in the nation where black households make more than white households. Among large cities or counties in the nation with median household incomes in excess of $ 100,000, the top two cities, which comprise over half
6860-448: The region form the Virginia portion of the Washington metropolitan area and the larger Washington–Baltimore metropolitan area . Northern Virginia has a significantly larger job base than either Washington, D.C. or the Maryland portion of its suburbs, and is the highest-income region of Virginia, with several of the highest-income counties in the nation, including three of the ten highest counties for median household income, according to
6958-421: The research takes place in the high-security Biomedical Research Laboratory. The 1,123-seat Merchant Hall and the 300-seat Verizon Auditorium in the Hylton Performing Arts Center opened in 2010. The 110,000-square-foot Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center is operated by the Mason Enterprise Center. The Mason Center for Team and Organizational Learning stylized as EDGE is an experiential education facility open to
7056-625: The same powers with respect to operation and governance of its branch campus in Korea as are vested in the board by the Code of Virginia with respect to George Mason University in Virginia ..." Mason Korea's first commencement class graduated in December 2017. Students can take seven bachelor's degree courses in Mason Korea. Students from Mason Korea earn the same diploma as home campus students, with English as
7154-621: The site in his honor. Following the American Revolutionary War, the Thirteen Colonies formed the United States of America, and Continental Army commander and Virginian George Washington became the new nation's first president. Prior to the Revolutionary War, Washington was a surveyor and developer of canals that were used for transportation. He was also a proponent of the bustling port city of Alexandria , located on
7252-654: The state's population. These population counts include all counties within Virginia that are part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area or the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area as defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Office of the President of the United States . Of
7350-528: The state. As a result of West Virginia's formation, part of Lord Fairfax's colonial land grant, which defined Northern Virginia, was ceded in the establishment of that state in 1863. Now known as the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia , the area includes Berkeley County and Jefferson County in West Virginia. The Department of Defense 's increasing reliance on information technology companies during
7448-495: The tax case brought by the plaintiff. The court, however, did not rule on the core constitutional matter of the retrocession. Writing the majority opinion, Justice Noah Swayne stated only that: The plaintiff in error is estopped from raising the point which he seeks to have decided. He cannot, under the circumstances, vicariously raise a question, nor force upon the parties to the compact an issue which neither of them desires to make. With barely 100 mi (160 km) separating
7546-533: The term was no longer used. By some definitions, King George County is also included in the Northern Neck, which is now considered a separate region from Northern Virginia. One of the most prominent early mentions of "Northern Virginia" as a title was the naming of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War (1861–1865). The most common definition of Northern Virginia includes
7644-501: The threshold for inclusion in the Washington Metropolitan Area or Washington-Baltimore Combined Statistical Area. The demographic figures above do not include population counts for these two counties. The 2020 U.S. Census resulted in the following racial and ethnic composition for Northern Virginia: Northern Virginia as a whole is 51.2% White, 17.4% Hispanic, 16.3% Asian, 14.1% Black, and 2.4% Other. Northern Virginia
7742-500: The top viola performers in the United States. The mission of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra is: "To explore and present the symphonic repertoire, both traditional and modern, for the diverse audiences of the Northern Virginia region while building the musicians and audiences of the future through education and outreach programs throughout Fairfax County." This article about a United States classical music orchestra
7840-459: The two capital cities, Northern Virginia found itself in the center of much of the conflict, which inflicted destruction and bloodshed. The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary army for the Confederate States of America in the east. Owing to the region's proximity to Washington, D.C., and the Potomac River, the armies of both sides frequently occupied and traversed Northern Virginia. As
7938-407: The university accepted 90% of its undergraduate applicants, and did not consider high school class rank or require standardized test scores for admission. Those admitted had an average 3.68 high school GPA . For those submitting scores the average student had an SAT score of 1250 (38% submitting scores) or an average ACT score of 28 (3% submitting scores). Between 2009 and 2013, George Mason saw
8036-475: The university enrolled 40,185 students, making it the largest university by head count in Virginia. George Mason University hosts $ 149 million in sponsored research projects annually, as of 2019. In 2016, Mason was classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". Mason moved into this classification based on a review of its 2013–2014 data that was performed by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. The research
8134-511: The university had a campus at Ras al-Khaimah , United Arab Emirates . The Blue Ridge campus, just outside Front Royal, is run in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution . The university's flagship Fairfax Campus is situated on 677 acres (274 hectares) of land, in George Mason, Virginia , just south of the City of Fairfax in central Fairfax County . The national capital of Washington, D.C.
8232-571: The university hosted the World Congress of Information Technology in 1998, celebrated a second Nobel Memorial Prize -winning faculty member in 2002, and cheered the Men's basketball team in their NCAA Final Four appearance in 2006. Enrollment increased from just over 24,000 students in 1996 to approximately 33,000 during the spring semester of 2012, making Mason Virginia's largest public university. Following Merten's retirement in 2012, Ángel Cabrera
8330-556: The university offered a combination of online and in-person instruction. George Mason University has four campuses in the United States, each of which is located in Virginia. Three are in the Northern Virginia suburbs of the Washington metropolitan area , and one is in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains . The university also has one campus in South Korea, in the Songdo International Business District of Incheon . Between 2005 and 2009
8428-418: The walkway to gain recognition for their group. With more than 300 student organizations, there is much competition to paint one of the benches. Painting takes place in the spring. On the Fairfax campus, the northernmost housing is technically on campus, but about a mile (1600 m) from the center of campus, about a half mile (800 m) from the edge of the majority of the Fairfax campus in the housing area known as
8526-415: The western dividing line between Maryland and West Virginia . Early development of the northern portion of Virginia was in the easternmost area of that early land grant, which encompasses the modern counties of Lancaster , Northumberland , Richmond , and Westmoreland . At some point, these eastern counties came to be called separately simply "the Northern Neck", and, for the remaining area west of them,
8624-410: Was 1,337 higher than fall 2012 (+7%); graduate headcount was 262 lower (−2%); and law student headcount was 119 lower (−18%). Matriculated students come from all 50 states and 122 foreign countries. As of fall 2014, the university had 33,791 students enrolled, including 21,672 undergraduates, 7,022 seeking master's degrees, 2,264 seeking doctoral degrees and 493 seeking law degrees. As of 2023,
8722-512: Was a lifelong bachelor, and became one of the more well-known persons of the late colonial era. In 1742, the new county formed from Prince William County was named Fairfax County in his honor, one of several locations in Northern Virginia and West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle named after him. Lord Fairfax established his residence at his brother's home at "Belvoir" on the grounds of present-day Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County. He later built
8820-449: Was appointed the university's sixth president on July 1, 2012. In a resolution on August 17, 2012, the board asked Cabrera to create a new strategic vision that would help Mason remain relevant and competitive in the future. The drafting of the Vision for Mason, from conception to official outline, created a new mission statement that defines the university. On March 25, 2013, Cabrera held
8918-600: Was established pursuant to Articles 1 and 2, Chapter 34, of the Acts of the Virginia General Assembly of 1968, subsequently revised and reenacted as the Regional Cooperation Act. Any incorporated county, city, or town in Northern Virginia with a population exceeding 3,500 that adopts NVRC's charter agreement is eligible to become a member of the commission. Northern Virginia constitutes a considerable portion of
9016-679: Was founded in 1979 with the acquisition of a law school. In 1998, Hazel Hall opened to house the Antonin Scalia Law School ; subsequent development created Van Metre Hall (formerly Founders Hall), home of the Schar School of Policy and Government , the Center for Regional Analysis, and the graduate-level administrative offices for the School of Business. Vernon Smith Hall houses the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution ,
9114-575: Was geographically separated from the state government in Richmond by the Appalachian Mountains . During this process, a provisional government of Virginia was headquartered in Alexandria, which was under Union control during the war. Arlington, Clarke, Fairfax, Frederick, Loudoun, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties voted in favor of Virginia remaining in the Union in 1861, but eventually broke away from
9212-626: Was installed near the George Mason Statue. The memorial includes panels describing the lives of two of the enslaved at Gunston Hall : Penny, who was gifted by Mason to his daughter, and James, Mason's personal attendant. The Arlington Campus, named Mason Square in 2022, is situated on 5.2 acres (2.1 hectares) in Virginia Square , an urban environment on the edge of Arlington County, Virginia 's Clarendon business district and four miles (6.4 km) from downtown Washington, D.C. The campus
9310-413: Was larger in area than five of the modern U.S. states: This monument, at the headspring of the Potomac River, marks one of the historic spots of America. Its name is derived from Thomas Lord Fairfax who owned all the land lying between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers. The first Fairfax Stone, marked "FX", was set in 1746 by Thomas Lewis, a surveyor employed by Lord Fairfax . This is the base point for
9408-595: Was named the Royal Governor of Virginia from 1677 to 1683. Culpeper County was later named for him when it was formed in 1749; however, history does not seem to record him as one of the better of Virginia's colonial governors. Although he became governor of Virginia in July 1677, he did not come to Virginia until 1679, and even then seemed more interested in maintaining his land in the "Northern Neck of Virginia" than governing. He soon returned to England. In 1682, rioting in
9506-536: Was renamed from Alexandria County in 1922, and a portion of the independent city of Alexandria . Slavery, states' rights , and economic issues increasingly divided the northern and southern states during the first half of the 19th century, eventually leading to the American Civil War , which lasted from 1861 to 1865. Although Maryland was a slave state , it remained with the Union , while Virginia seceded and joined
9604-567: Was settled at Jamestown in 1607. The area now generally regarded as "Northern Virginia" was within a larger area defined by a land grant from King Charles II of England on September 18, 1649, while the monarch was in exile in France during the English Civil War . Eight of his loyal supporters were named, among them Thomas Culpeper. On February 25, 1673, a new charter was given to Thomas Lord Culpeper and Henry Earl of Arlington . Lord Culpeper
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