09/03/2026
Why is there a hippo in the middle of Foggy Bottom
In Washington, DC? So… the story goes something like this: In 1996, then GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, was enjoying a couple of drinks. After, he perused a flea market and saw the hippo. “A perfect gift for my wife!” he thought. His wife was not so excited. He was not dismayed. He then gifted this bronze river horse to the graduating class of 2000. Here, it has been delivering the most whimsical tale of George and Martha and their beloved river horses. While a 1910 bill in the House of Representatives almost released wild hippos in the U.S. (a story for another day) no hippos have never lived naturally in Washington, DC, Virginia, or the US for that matter. But, the love for this whimsical hippo has lived at GW since then. Go ahead, give his nose a rub for good luck🦛
