By Jonathan Beck, B.S. ‘26, Business Analytics
Matthew Wolf, B.S. ‘26, Business Analytics
Amid significant social and political protests across 1970s Washington, a group of first-year students at the George Washington University launched a campaign that shaped Foggy Bottom’s architectural landscape. In a D.C. Mondays program on March 17, 2025, hosted by the Albert H. Small Center for National Capital Area Studies, community activist and advocate Steve Sorkin narrates this chapter of student-led initiative and historical preservation at GW.
As a GW freshman in 1974, Sorkin co-founded “Committee for the Campus” alongside two fellow undergraduates, Karen Gordon and Cindy Whitman. At the time, blocks of historic 19th-century homes and architecture, including the Lenthall Houses, G Street Row and Red Lion Row, were in the crosshairs of a university “master plan.” The document proposed demolishing the buildings and replacing them with modern office high-rises. What began as concern for the loss of a single neighborhood block across from Sorkin’s dorm evolved into a grassroots coalition effort involving local activists, GW faculty, national preservation organizations and the press.
Sorkin and his peers researched Foggy Bottom’s architecture, hoping to protect the buildings by making them historic landmarks. The students ambitiously pushed for their insights to be published in the Hatchet, GW’s student paper, and even testified in public hearings. As Sorkin says, “…The victories you take are equal to the compromises you make.” In the end, the facades of Red Lion Row were preserved, while a new building was constructed behind them— what is now Western Market. The F Street Club was also saved and now serves as the residence of the GW president. However, the G Street row was torn down.
Though not every structure survived, the effort reshaped GW’s development and helped formalize and establish the voice of students in university strategy.
Sorkin’s story is more than just a trip down memory lane. It’s an opportunity to recognize how modest beginnings can generate institutional change, so long as passion and purpose serve as motivation.
You can watch a video of this D.C. Mondays program below and browse upcoming talks on the website.
This post was written by students in Professor Jessica McCaughey’s COMM 3190 class at George Washington University.
About the Authors
Jonathan Beck an undergraduate at GW studying business analytics and information systems. He is passionate about analyzing, synthesizing and modeling data to solve real-world problems.
Matthew Wolf is an undergraduate at GW studying business analytics and accounting. He enjoys diving into sabermetric baseball data and using analytics to uncover compelling stories in sports.
Header image: Historic American Buildings Survey, “2042 I Street Commercial Buildings, Washington D.C.,” 1933. Courtesy, Library of Congress.