Georgetown University is a Catholic university in Georgetown, Washington, DC. It is the oldest Catholic university in the United States of America, and the first Jesuit one, having been founded on January 23, 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Today, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The founding date is the subject of some controversy, as construction on the buildings began in 1788, the first student was admitted in 1791, and classes commenced in early 1792. The official date is that of when the Jesuit order acquired the title to the land that became the core of the campus.