Inauguration of Eduardo Peñalver as the 49th President of Georgetown University Georgetown University

Inauguration of Eduardo Peñalver as the 49th President of Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Oct 11, 2026  Notable Speakers

On October 9, 2026, Georgetown University celebrated the inauguration of Eduardo Peñalver as its 49th president, marking a historic moment in the university's 237-year history.

Watch the inauguration ceremony held at McDonough Arena in Washington, DC, as the Georgetown community gathered to formally welcome President Peñalver and celebrate the university's enduring commitment to academic excellence, service to others, and its Catholic and Jesuit mission.

The ceremony brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, university leaders, Jesuits and distinguished guests for a celebration of Georgetown's history, traditions and future. The program featured an academic procession, greetings from university representatives, the formal installation of President Peñalver and his inaugural address.

In his inaugural remarks, President Peñalver reflected on the importance of civil dialogue, intellectual inquiry, pluralism and the role of higher education in preparing students to engage with the world's most pressing challenges. He also addressed the opportunities and challenges facing universities, including artificial intelligence, affordability and the importance of nurturing both the intellect and the soul.

Founded in 1789, Georgetown University is the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. The inauguration marks a new chapter in Georgetown's mission to educate the whole person, advance knowledge and serve the common good.

Read the full story:

Eduardo Peñalver Inaugurated as Georgetown's 49th President

https://www.georgetown.edu/news/eduar...

Learn more about Georgetown University:

https://www.georgetown.edu/

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From Wikipedia 

Eduardo Peñalver

Early life and education

Peñalver was raised in Puyallup, Washington.[2][3] His family is Catholic.[2] His mother is the child of Swiss immigrants and worked as a school nurse, and his father immigrated from Cuba and worked as a pediatrician.[1] He has four siblings.[3]

Peñalver received his primary education at his parish school, All Saints,[3] and attended Henry Foss High School in Tacoma, Washington.[2] He received a Bachelor of Arts from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Arts and a promoted Master of Arts from Oriel College, Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.[4][5] He received a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.[2][6]