GW's River Horse
Washington, United States
<br><center>Legend has it that the Potomac was once home to these wondrous beasts. <br> George and Martha Washington are even said to have watched them cavort in<br> the river shallows from the porch of their beloved Mount Vernon on summer evenings. <br> Credited with enhancing the fertility of the plantation, the Washingtons believed<br> the hippopotamus brought them good luck and children on the estate often attempted<br> to lure the creatures close enough to the shore to touch a nose for good luck. <br><br> So, too, may generations of students of The George Washington University. <br> <i>Art for wisdom,<br> Science for joy, <br> Politics for beauty, <br> And a Hippo for hope. <br><br></i> A Gift to the George Washington University Class of 2000<br> August 28, 1996<br> **********************</center><br><br> The George Washington University, Washington, DC<br><br> John D. Zeghs – Chair, Board of Trustees<br> Stephen Joel Trachtenberg – President<br> Damian A. McKenna – President, Student Association<br> John G. Boswell – Chair, Faculty Senate Executive Committee<br>