On the university’s continuing legacy of leadership, innovation, and discovery
The world stands at a volatile moment. Global relations and alliances are unstable. Nationalism is on the rise. New technological advancements hold enormous potential to transform the way we live and work. And as America prepares to celebrate a milestone anniversary, deep political divisions are tearing it apart.
It may sound like 2026, but it isn’t—it’s 1876. And that same year in Baltimore, America’s first research university was created, thanks to what was then the single biggest philanthropic donation in U.S. history. Johns Hopkins has been helping to remake the world ever since.
Over the last 150 years, Hopkins has been at the forefront of societal changes that are without parallel in human history. Through its deep commitment to open-minded inquiry, academic excellence, and innovative exploration of ideas of every kind, Hopkins earned a reputation as a trailblazing pioneer. That allowed it to beat out older and more politically connected Ivy League institutions to become the leading recipient of federal research funding, in fields from health and medicine to physics and defense.