Washington University in St . Louis Washington University in St . Louis ( Wash . U . , or WUSTL ) is a private research university located in suburban St . Louis , Missouri , United States . Founded in 1853 , and named for George Washington , the university has students and faculty from all 50 U . S . state s and more than 120 countries . Twenty - two Nobel laureates have been affiliated with Washington University , nine having done the major part of their pioneering research at the university . Washington University ' s undergraduate program is ranked 14th in the nation and 7th in admissions selectivity by " U . S . News and World Report " . The university is ranked 30th in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities . In 2006 , the university received $ 434 million in federal research funds , ranking seventh among private universities receiving federal research and development support , and in the top four in funding from the National Institutes of Health . Washington University is made up of seven graduate and undergraduate schools that encompass a broad range of academic fields . Officially incorporated as " The Washington University , " the university is occasionally referred to as " WUSTL , " an acronym derived from its initials . More commonly , however , students refer to the university as " Wash . U . " To prevent confusion over its location , the Board of Trustees added the phrase " in St . Louis " in 1976 . History . Early history ( 1853 – 1900 ) . Washington University was conceived by 17 St . Louis business , political , and religious leaders concerned by the lack of institutions of higher learning in the Midwest . Missouri State Senator Wayman Crow and Unitarian minister William Greenleaf Eliot , grandfather of the poet T . S . Eliot , led the effort . The university ' s first chancellor was Joseph Gibson Hoyt . Crow secured the university charter from the Missouri General Assembly in 1853 , and Eliot was named President of the Board of Trustees . Early on , Eliot solicited support from members of the local business community , including John O ' Fallon , but Eliot failed to secure a permanent endowment . Washington University is unusual among major American universities in not having had a prior financial endowment . The institution had no backing of a religious organization , single wealthy patron , or earmarked government support . During the three years following its inception , the university bore three different names . The board first approved " Eliot Seminary , " but William Eliot was uncomfortable with naming a university after himself and objected to the establishment of a seminary , which would implicitly be charged with teaching a religious faith . He favored a nonsectarian university . In 1854 , the Board of Trustees changed the name to " Washington Institute " in honor of George Washington . Naming the University after the nation ' s first president , only seven years before the American Civil War and during a time of bitter national division , was no coincidence . During this time of conflict , Americans universally admired George Washington as the father of the United States and a symbol of national unity . The Board of Trustees believed that the university should be a force of unity in a strongly divided Missouri . In 1856 , the University amended its name to " Washington University . " The university amended its name once more in 1976 , when the Board of Trustees voted to add the suffix " in St . Louis " to distinguish the university from the nearly two dozen other universities bearing Washington ' s name . Although chartered as a university , for many years Washington University functioned primarily as a night school located on 17th Street and Washington Avenue in the heart of downtown St . Louis . Owing to limited financial resources , Washington University initially used public buildings . Classes began on October 22 , 1854 , at the Benton School building . At first the university paid for the evening classes , but as their popularity grew , their funding was transferred to the St . Louis Public Schools . Eventually the board secured funds for the construction of Academic Hall and a half dozen other buildings . Later the university divided into three departments : the Manual Training School , Smith Academy , and the Mary Institute . In 1867 , the university opened the first private nonsectarian law school west of the Mississippi River . By 1882 , Washington University had expanded to numerous departments , which were housed in various buildings across St . Louis . Medical classes were first held at Washington University in 1891 after the St . Louis Medical College decided to affiliate with the University , establishing the School of Medicine . During the 1890s , Robert Sommers Brookings , the president of the Board of Trustees , undertook the tasks of reorganizing the university ' s finances , putting them onto a sound foundation , and buying land for a new campus . Modern era ( 1900 – 1955 ) . Washington University spent its first half century in downtown St . Louis bounded by Washington Ave . , Lucas Place , and Locust Street . By the 1890s , owing to the dramatic expansion of the Manual School and a new benefactor in Robert Brookings , the University began to move west . The University Board of Directors began a process to find suitable ground and hired the landscape architecture firm Olmsted , Olmsted & Eliot of Boston . A committee of Robert S . Brookings , Henry Ware Eliot , and William Huse found a site of just beyond Forest Park , located west of the city limits in St . Louis County . The elevation of the land was thought to resemble the Acropolis and inspired the nickname of " Hilltop " campus , renamed the Danforth campus in 2006 to honor former chancellor William H . Danforth . In 1899 , the university opened a national design contest for the new campus . The renowned Philadelphia firm Cope & Stewardson won unanimously with its plan for a row of Collegiate Gothic quadrangles inspired by Oxford and Cambridge Universities . The cornerstone of the first building , Busch Hall , was laid on October 20 , 1900 . The construction of Brookings Hall , Ridgley , and Cupples began shortly thereafter . The school delayed occupying these buildings until 1905 to accommodate the 1904 World ' s Fair and Olympics . The delay allowed the university to construct ten buildings instead of the seven originally planned . This original cluster of buildings set a precedent for the development of the Danforth Campus ; Cope & Stewardson ’ s original plan and its choice of building materials have , with few exceptions , guided the construction and expansion of the Danforth Campus to the present day . By 1915 , construction of a new medical complex was completed on Kingshighway in what is now St . Louis ’ s Central West End . Three years later , Washington University admitted its first women medical students . In 1922 , a young physics professor , Arthur Holly Compton , conducted a series of experiments in the basement of Eads Hall that demonstrated the " particle " concept of electromagnetic radiation . Compton ’ s discovery , known as the “ Compton Effect , ” earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1927 . During World War II , as part of the Manhattan Project , a cyclotron at Washington University was used to produce small quantities of the newly discovered element plutonium via neutron bombardment of uranium nitrate hexahydrate . The plutonium produced there in 1942 was shipped to the Metallurgical Laboratory Compton had established at the University of Chicago where Glenn Seaborg ' s team used it for extraction , purification , and characterization studies of the exotic substance . After working for many years at the University of Chicago , Arthur Holly Compton returned to St . Louis in 1946 to serve as Washington University ' s ninth chancellor . Compton reestablished the Washington University football team , making the declaration that athletics were to be henceforth played on a " strictly amateur " basis with no athletic scholarships . Under Compton ’ s leadership , enrollment at the University grew dramatically , fueled primarily by World War II veterans ' use of their GI Bill benefits . In 1947 , Gerty Cori , a professor at the School of Medicine , became the first American woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine . Professors Carl and Gerty Cori became Washington University ' s fifth and sixth Nobel laureates for their discovery of how glycogen is broken down and resynthesized in the body . The process of desegregation at Washington University began in 1947 with the School of Medicine and the School of Social Work . During the mid and late 1940s , the University was the target of critical editorials in the local African American press , letter - writing campaigns by churches and the local Urban League , and legal briefs by the NAACP intended to strip its tax - exempt status . In spring 1949 , a Washington University student group , the Student Committee for the Admission of Negroes ( SCAN ) , began campaigning for full racial integration . In May 1952 , the Board of Trustees passed a resolution desegregating the school ' s undergraduate divisions . Recent history ( 1955 – present ) . During the latter half of the 20th century , Washington University transitioned from a strong regional university to a national research institution . In 1957 , planning began for the construction of the “ South 40 , ” a complex of modern residential halls . With the additional on - campus housing , Washington University , which had been predominately a “ streetcar college ” of commuter students , began to attract a more national pool of applicants . By 1964 , over two - thirds of incoming students came from outside the St . Louis area . In 1971 , the Board of Trustees appointed Chancellor William Henry Danforth , who guided the university through the social and financial crises of the 1970s and strengthened the university ’ s often strained relationship with the St . Louis community . During his 24 - year chancellorship , Danforth significantly improved the School of Medicine , established 70 new faculty chairs , secured a $ 1 . 72 billion endowment , and tripled the amount of student scholarships . In 1995 , Mark S . Wrighton , former Provost at MIT , was elected the university ’ s 14th chancellor . During Chancellor Wrighton ' s tenure undergraduate applications to Washington University have more than doubled . Since 1995 , the University has added more than 190 endowed professorships , revamped its Arts & Sciences curriculum , and completed more than 30 new buildings . The growth of Washington University ’ s reputation has coincided with a series of record - breaking fund - raising efforts during the last three decades . From 1983 to 1987 , the “ Alliance for Washington University ” campaign raised $ 630 . 5 million , which was then the most successful fund - raising effort in national history . From 1998 to 2004 , the “ Campaign for Washington University ” raised $ 1 . 55 billion , which has been applied to additional scholarships , professorships , and research initiatives . U . S . Presidential and Vice Presidential debates . Washington University has been selected by the Commission on Presidential Debates to host more presidential and vice presidential debates than any other institution in history . United States presidential election debates were held at the Washington University Athletic Complex in 1992 , 2000 , and 2004 . A presidential debate was planned to occur in 1996 , but owing to scheduling difficulties between the candidates , the debate was canceled . The university hosted the only 2008 vice presidential debate , between Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden , on October 2 , 2008 , also at the Washington University Athletic Complex . Although Chancellor Wrighton had noted after the 2004 debate that it would be " improbable " that the University will host another debate and was not eager to commit to the possibility , he subsequently changed his view and the University submitted a bid for the 2008 debates . " These one - of - a - kind events are great experiences for our students , they contribute to a national understanding of important issues , and they allow us to help bring national and international attention to the St . Louis region as one of America ' s great metropolitan areas , " said Wrighton . Rankings and reputation . Washington University ' s undergraduate program is ranked 14th in the nation , and 7th in admissions selectivity , in the 2013 " U . S . News & World Report " National Universities ranking . Additionally , 19 undergraduate disciplines are ranked among the top 10 programs in the country . In 2011 , Washington University received a record 28 , 823 applications for a freshman class of 1 , 500 . More than 90 % of incoming freshmen were ranked in the top 10 % of their high school classes . In 2006 , the University ranked fourth overall and second among private universities in the number of enrolled National Merit Scholar freshmen , according to the National Merit Scholar Corp . ' s annual report . In 2008 , Washington University was ranked number one for quality of life according to the Princeton Review , among other top rankings . In addition , the Olin Business School ' s undergraduate program is among the top 8 in the country . The Olin Business School ' s undergraduate program is also among the country ' s most competitive , admitting only 14 % of applicants in 2007 and ranking No . 1 in SAT scores with an average composite of 1463 M + CR according to BusinessWeek . Graduate schools include the School of Medicine , currently ranked 6th in the nation , and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work , currently ranked 1st . The program in occupational therapy at Washington University currently occupies the second spot for the U . S . News and World Report rankings , and the program in physical therapy is ranked 3rd ( tied for # 3 ) . For the 2012 edition , the School of Law is ranked 23rd and the Olin Business School is ranked 22nd . Additionally , the Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design was ranked 9th in the nation by the journal " DesignIntelligence " in its 2013 edition of " America ' s Best Architecture & Design Schools . " Global rankings include 31st in the Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2012 , that assesses the quality of scientific research leading toward a Nobel Prize . In 2010 , Washington University ranked 38th in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings . Washington University has been criticized for aggressively marketing itself in order to increase applications and thereby selectivity , a factor in many ranking systems . Geography & campus . Although the school includes St . Louis in its name , the majority of the school ' s main campus ( including Brookings Hall ) is located in unincorporated St . Louis County and suburban Clayton Medical Campus . Washington University Medical Center comprises spread over approximately 12 city blocks , located along the eastern edge of Forest Park within the Central West End neighborhood of St . Louis . The campus is home to the Washington University School of Medicine and its associated teaching hospitals , Barnes - Jewish Hospital and St . Louis Children ' s Hospital . Many of the buildings are connected via a series of skyways and corridors . The School ' s 2 , 100 employed and volunteer faculty Physicians & Nurse Practitioners also serve as the medical staff of Barnes - Jewish and St . Louis Children ' s hospitals , which are part of BJC HealthCare . Washington University and BJC have taken on many joint venture projects , such as the Center for Advanced Medicine , completed in December 2001 . BJC Institute of Health at Washington University is the newest research building with . Olin Residence Hall , named for Spencer T . Olin , provides residential services for 200 medical and graduate students . The Medical Campus is accessible via the Central West End MetroLink station , which provides a quick link to the Danforth , North , and West Campuses . Medical Campus Includes : North and West Campuses . Washington University ' s North Campus and West Campus principally house administrative functions that are not student focused . North Campus lies in St . Louis City near the Delmar Loop . The University acquired the building and adjacent property in 2004 , formerly home to the Angelica Uniform Factory . Several University administrative departments are located at the North Campus location , including offices for Quadrangle Housing , Accounting and Treasury Services , Parking and Transportation Services , Army ROTC , and Network Technology Services . The North Campus location also provides off - site storage space for the Performing Arts Department . Renovations are still ongoing ; recent additions to the North Campus space include a small eatery operated by Bon Appétit Management Company , the University ' s on - campus food provider , completed during spring semester 2007 , as well as the Family Learning Center , operated by Bright Horizons and opened in September 2010 . The West Campus is located about to the west of the Danforth Campus in Clayton , Missouri , and primarily consists of a three - story former department store building housing mostly administrative space . The West Campus building was home to the Clayton branch of the Famous - Barr department store until 1990 , when the University acquired the property and adjacent parking and began a series of renovations . Today , the basement level houses the West Campus Library , the University Archives , the Modern Graphic History Library , and conference space . The ground level still remains a retail space . The upper floors house consolidated capital gifts , portions of alumni and development , and information systems offices from across the Danforth and Medical School campuses . There is also a music rehearsal room on the second floor . The West Campus is also home to the Center for the Application of Information Technologies ( CAIT ) , which provides IT training services . Both the North and West Campuses are accessible by the St . Louis MetroLink , which , with the Delmar Loop and Forsyth MetroLink Stations directly adjacent to these campuses , provides easy travel around the St . Louis metropolitan area , including all of Washington University ' s campuses . Tyson Research Center . Tyson Research Center is a field station located west of St . Louis on the Meramec River . Washington University obtained Tyson as surplus property from the federal government in 1963 . It is used by the University as a biological field station and research / education center . In 2010 the Living Learning Center was named one of the first two buildings accredited nationwide as a " living building " under the Living Learning Challenge , opened to serve as a biological research station and classroom for summer students . Academics . Arts & Sciences . For the Fall 2011 semester Arts & Sciences enrolled 942 out of 18 , 079 applicants ( 5 . 2 % ) . Arts & Sciences at Washington University comprises three divisions : the College of Arts & Sciences , the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences , and University College in Arts & Sciences . Gary Wihl is Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences . James E . McLeod was the Vice Chancellor for Students and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences ; according to a University news release he died at the University ' s Barnes - Jewish Hospital on Tuesday , September 6 , 2011 of renal failure as a result of a two - year - long struggle with cancer . Richard J . Smith is Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences . Business . For the Fall 2011 semester Business enrolled 168 out of 4 , 160 applicants ( 4 . 0 % ) . Founded as the School of Commerce and Finance in 1917 , the Olin Business School was named after entrepreneur John M . Olin in 1988 . The school ' s academic programs include BSBA , MBA , Professional MBA ( PMBA ) , Executive MBA ( EMBA ) , MS in Finance , MS in Supply Chain Management , Master of Accounting , and Doctorate programs , as well as non - degree executive education . In 2002 , an Executive MBA program was established in Shanghai , in cooperation with Fudan University . Olin has a network of more than 16 , 000 alumni worldwide . Over the last several years , the school ’ s endowment has increased to $ 213 million ( 2004 ) and annual gifts average $ 12 million per year . Simon Hall was opened in 1986 after a donation from John E . Simon . Undergraduate BSBA students take 40 – 60 % of their courses within the business school and are able to formally declare majors in eight areas : accounting , entrepreneurship , finance , healthcare management , marketing , managerial economics and strategy , organization and human resources , international business , and operations and supply chain management . Graduate students are able to pursue an MBA either full - time or part - time . Students may also take elective courses from other disciplines at Washington University , including law and many other fields . Mahendra R . Gupta is the Dean of the Olin Business School . Design & Visual Arts . For the Fall 2011 semester Design & Visual Arts enrolled 106 out of 1 , 422 applicants ( 7 . 5 % ) . Created in 2005 by merging the existing Colleges of Art and Architecture , the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts combines the strengths of these fields into a single collaborative unit offering both undergraduate and graduate programs . The School comprises : Architecture offers BS and BA degrees as well as M . Arch and MUD . There is a combined six - year BS and M . Arch degree program as well as joint M . Arch programs with most of the other schools in the University . The Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Design was ranked 5th in the nation by the journal " DesignIntelligence " in its 2008 edition of " America ' s Best Architecture & Design Schools . " Art offers the BFA and MFA in Art in the context of a full university environment . Students take courses in the College of Arts & Sciences as well as courses in the College of Art to provide a well rounded background . One third of students in the school pursue a combined study degree program , second major , and / or minors in other undergraduate divisions at Washington University . " U . S . News & World Report " ranked the MFA program 13th in the nation in 2012 . In October 2006 the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum moved into new facilities designed by Pritzker Prize - winning architect , and former faculty member , Fumihiko Maki . Carmon Colangelo is the Dean of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts . Bruce Lindsey is Dean of the College of Architecture and the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design . Franklin " Buzz " Spector is the Dean of the College and Graduate School of Art . Engineering . For the Fall 2011 semester Engineering enrolled 272 out of 5 , 162 applicants ( 5 . 3 % ) . The Washington University School of Engineering was ranked 43 in the 2007 – 2008 " U . S . News " undergraduate engineering program ratings . The biomedical engineering graduate program was ranked 10th by U . S . News in 2008 – 2009 . Graduate programs are also offered through the School of Engineering and part - time programs through the Sever Institute of Continuing Studies . Ralph Quatrano is Dean of Engineering & Applied Science . Departments include : Law . Washington University School of Law offers joint - degree programs with the Olin Business School , the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences , the School of Medicine , and the School of Social Work . It also offers an LLM in Intellectual Property and Technology Law , an LLM in Taxation , an LLM in US Law for Foreign Lawyers , a Master of Juridical Studies ( MJS ) , and a Juris Scientiae Doctoris ( JSD ) . The law school offers 3 semesters of courses in the Spring , Summer , and Fall , and requires at least 85 hours of coursework for the JD . In the 2012 " US News & World Report " America ' s Best Graduate Schools , the law school is ranked 23rd nationally , out of over 180 law schools . In particular , its Clinical Education Program is currently ranked 4th in the nation . This year , the median score placed the average student in the 96th percentile of test takers . The law school offers a full - time day program , beginning in August , for the J . D . degree . The law school is located in a state - of - the - art building , Anheuser - Busch Hall ( opened in 1997 ) . The building combines traditional architecture , a five - story open - stacks library , an integration of indoor and outdoor spaces , and the latest wireless and other technologies . " National Jurist " ranked Washington University 4th among the " 25 Most Wired Law Schools . " Kent D . Syverud is the Dean of the School of Law . Medicine . The Washington University School of Medicine is highly regarded as one of the world ' s leading centers for medical research and training . The School ranks first in the nation in student selectivity . Among its many recent initiatives , The Genome Center at Washington University ( directed by Richard K . Wilson ) played a leadership role in the Human Genome Project , having contributed 25 % of the finished sequence . The School pioneered bedside teaching and led in the transformation of empirical knowledge into scientific medicine . The medical school partners with St . Louis Children ' s Hospital and Barnes - Jewish Hospital ( part of BJC HealthCare ) , where all physicians are members of the school ' s faculty . Within the medical school , the Program in Physical Therapy is also highly reputable . It is ranked 2nd in the nation for " Best Physical Therapy Schools " according to " U . S . News & World Report " . The Program offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy ( DPT ) at both the professional and post - professional levels . In its 60 - year history , more than 1 , 500 students , most of whom are still actively involved in the physical therapy profession , have graduated from the Program . The Program in Occupational Therapy is currently tied for 1st in the nation for " Best Occupational Therapy Schools " according to " U . S . News & World Report " . The Program offers a Master of Science degree as well as the Occupational Therapy Doctorate ( OTD ) at the professional and post - professional levels . M . Carolyn Baum , PhD , serves as the program director and was the most recent president of the American Occupational Therapy Association ( AOTA ) . Dr . Larry J . Shapiro , MD , is the Dean of Washington University School of Medicine . Social Work . The George Warren Brown School of Social Work ( commonly called the Brown School or Brown ) is currently ranked first among Master of Social Work ( MSW ) programs in the United States . Brown also offers a PhD in Social Work in cooperation with the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and a Master of Public Health . The school was endowed by Bettie Bofinger Brown and named for her husband — George Warren Brown — a St . Louis philanthropist and co - founder of the Brown Shoe Company . The school is housed within Brown and Goldfarb halls . It has a center for Native American research , as well as acclaimed scholars in social security , health , individual development accounts , etc . The school ' s current dean is Edward F . Lawlor . Former Schools . Founded as the Missouri Dental College in 1866 , the Washington University School of Dental Medicine was the first dental school west of the Mississippi River and the sixth dental school in the U . S . The school closed in 1991 . Museums and library system . With 14 libraries , the Washington University library system is the largest in the state of Missouri , containing over 4 . 2 million volumes . The main library , Olin Library , is centrally located on the Danforth Campus . Other libraries in the system include : The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum , established in 1881 , is one of the oldest teaching museums in the country and the first art museum established west of the Mississippi River . The collection includes works from 19th , 20th , and 21st century American and European artists , including George Caleb Bingham , Thomas Cole , Pablo Picasso , Max Ernst , Alexander Calder , Jackson Pollock , Rembrandt , Robert Rauschenberg , Barbara Kruger , and Christian Boltanski . Also in the complex is the Newman Money Museum . In October 2006 , the Kemper Art Museum moved from its previous location , Steinberg Hall , into a new facility designed by former faculty member Fumihiko Maki . Interestingly , the new Kemper Art Museum is located directly across from Steinberg Hall , which was Maki ' s very first commission in 1959 . Research , Research Centers and Institutes . Virtually all faculty members at Washington University engage in academic research , offering opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students across the University ' s 7 schools . Known for its interdisciplinarity and departmental collaboration , most research centers and institutes at Washington University are collaborative efforts between many areas on campus . More than 60 % of undergraduates are involved in faculty research across all areas ; it is an institutional priority for undergraduates to be allowed to participate in advanced research , which is rather unique among leading private research universities . According to the Center for Measuring University Performance , it is considered to be one of the top 10 private research universities in the nation . A dedicated Office of Undergraduate Research is located on the Danforth Campus and serves as a resource to post research opportunities , advise students in finding appropriate positions matching their interests , publish undergraduate research journals , and award research grants to make it financially possible to perform research . During fiscal 2007 , $ 537 . 5 million was received in total research support , including $ 444 million in federal obligations . The University has over 150 National Institutes of Health funded inventions , with many of them licensed to private companies . Governmental agencies and non - profit foundations such as the NIH , United States Department of Defense , National Science Foundation , and NASA provide the majority of research grant funding , with Washington University being one of the top recipients in NIH grants from year - to - year . Nearly 80 % of NIH grants to institutions in the state of Missouri went to Washington University alone in 2007 . Washington University and its Medical School play a large part in the Human Genome Project , where it contributes approximately 25 % of the finished sequence . The Genome Sequencing Center has decoded the genome of many animals , plants , and cellular organisms , including the platypus , chimpanzee , cat , and corn . NASA hosts its Planetary Data System Geosciences Node on the campus of Washington University . Professors , students , and researchers have been very involved with many unmanned missions to Mars . Professor Ray Arvidson has been co - investigator of the Phoenix Rover robotic arm and chair of the Mars Exploration Rover landing site group . Washington University professor Joseph Lowenstein , with the assistance of several undergraduate students , has been involved in editing , annotating , making a digital archive of the first publication of poet Edmund Spencer ' s collective works in 100 years . A large grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities has been given to support this ambitious project centralized at Washington University with support from other colleges in the United States . Campus life . Student organizations . Washington University has over 200 undergraduate student organizations on campus . Most are funded by the Washington University Student Union , which has a $ 2 million plus annual budget that is completely student - controlled and is one of the largest student government budgets in the country . Known as SU for short , the Student Union sponsors large - scale campus programs including WILD ( a semesterly concert in the quad ) and free copies of the " New York Times " , " USA Today " , and the " St . Louis Post - Dispatch " through The Collegiate Readership Program ; it also contributes to the Assembly Series , a weekly lecture series produced by the University , and funds the campus television station , WUTV , and the radio station , KWUR . KWUR was named best radio station in St . Louis of 2003 by the Riverfront Times despite the fact that its signal reaches only a few blocks beyond the boundaries of the campus . There are 12 fraternities and 7 sororities . The Congress of the South 40 ( CS40 ) is a Residential Life and Events Programming Board , which operates outside of the SU sphere . CS40 ' s funding comes from the Housing Activities Fee of each student living on the South 40 . Many of these organizations and other campus life amenities are housed in the $ 43 million Danforth University Center on the Danforth Campus , also dedicated in honor of the Danforth family . The building opened on August 11 , 2008 and earned LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design . Washington University has a large number of student - run musical groups on campus , including 12 official a cappella groups . The Pikers , an all - male group , is the oldest such group on campus . The Greenleafs , an all - female group is the oldest ( and only ) female group on campus . The Mosaic Whispers , founded in 1991 , is the oldest co - ed group on campus . They have produced 9 albums and have appeared on a number of compilation albums , including Ben Folds ' The Amateurs , who also appeared on this album , is another co - ed a cappella group on campus , founded in 1991 . They have recorded seven albums and toured extensively . After Dark is a co - ed a cappella group founded in 2001 . It has released three albums and has won several Contemporary A Capella Recording ( CARA ) awards . In 2008 the group performed on MSNBC during coverage of the vice presidential debate with specially written songs about Joe Biden and Sarah Palin . The Ghost Lights , founded in 2010 , is the campus ' s newest and only Broadway , Movies , and Television soundtrack group . They have performed multiple philanthropic concerts in the greater St . Louis area and were honored in November 2010 with the opportunity to perform for Nobel Laureate Douglas North at his birthday celebration . The campus newspaper is Student Life . The paper is published twice a week under the auspices of Washington University Student Media , Inc . , an independent non - for - profit organization incorporated in 1999 . The paper was first founded in 1878 , making it one of the oldest student newspapers in the country . The campus political / entertainment talk radio podcast is WURD , which streams for free on iTunes . Its listenership spans multiple continents and its host website has been visited by thousands of listeners . Greek life . Washington University has ten fraternities and seven sororities on campus , with an eighth set to start in Spring 2013 . Washington University Interfraternity Council Washington University Panhellenic Council Residences . Washington University is number one on the Princeton Review ’ s “ Best College Dorms ” list for 2013 . Over 50 % of undergraduate students live on campus . Most of the residence halls on campus are located on the South 40 , named because of its adjacent location on the south side of the Danforth Campus and its size of . It is the location of all the freshman dorms as well as several upperclassman dorms , which are set up in the traditional residential college system . All of the dorms are co - ed . The South 40 is organized as a pedestrian - friendly environment wherein residences surround a central recreational lawn known as the Swamp . Wohl Student Center , the Habif Health and Wellness Center ( Student Health Services ) , the Residential Life Office , University Police Headquarters , various student - owned businesses ( e . g . the laundry service , Wash U Wash ) , and the baseball , softball , and intramural fields are also located on the South 40 . Another group of residences , known as the Village , is located in the northwest corner of Danforth Campus . Only open to upperclassmen and January Scholars , the North Side consists of Millbrook Apartments , The Village , Village East on - campus apartments , and all fraternity houses except the Zeta Beta Tau house , which is off campus and located just northwest of the South 40 . Sororities at Washington University do not have houses by their own accord . The Village is a group of residences where students who have similar interests or academic goals apply as small groups of 4 to 24 , known as BLOCs , to live together in clustered suites along with non - BLOCs . Like the South 40 , the residences around the Village also surround a recreational lawn . Student media . Washington University supports four major student - run media outlets . The university ' s student newspaper , " Student Life " , is available for students . KWUR ( 90 . 3 FM ) serves as the students ' official radio station ; the station also attracts an audience in the immediately surrounding community due to its eclectic and free - form musical programming . WUTV is the university ' s closed - circuit television channel . The university ' s main student - run political publication is the Washington University Political Review ( nicknamed " WUPR " ) , a self - described " multipartisan " monthly magazine . Washington University undergraduates publish two literary and art journals , The Eliot Review and Spires Intercollegiate Arts and Literary Magazine . A variety of other publications also serve the university community , ranging from in - house academic journal s to glossy alumni magazines to WUnderground , campus ' student - run satirical newspaper . Athletics . Washington University ' s sports teams are called the Bears . They participate in the University Athletic Association and the NCAA Division III . The Bears have won 19 NCAA Division III Championships — one in women ' s cross country ( 2011 ) , one in men ' s tennis ( 2008 ) , two in men ' s basketball ( 2008 , 2009 ) , five in women ' s basketball ( 1998 – 2001 , 2010 ) , and ten in women ' s volleyball ( 1989 , 1991 – 1996 , 2003 , 2007 , 2009 ) – and 144 UAA titles in 15 different sports . The Athletic Department is headed by John Schael who has served as director of athletics since 1978 . The 2000 Division III Central Region winner of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics / Continental Airlines Athletics Director of the Year award , Schael has helped orchestrate the Bears athletics transformation into one of the top departments in Division III . Washington University also has an extensive club sports program , with teams ranging from men ' s volleyball to women ' s Ultimate Frisbee . Funding for club sports comes from the Student Union budget , as each club is deemed a campus group . Washington University is home of Francis Field , site of the 1904 Summer Olympics . Francis Field is also home of the Washington University football , soccer , and track and field teams . Chancellors . Since its founding , Washington University has been led by 14 Chancellors , beginning with Joseph Gibson Hoyt in 1858 . Mark Stephen Wrighton serves as the current Chancellor of the University .