Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a privateIvy Leagueresearch university in New York City, United States. Established in 1754 as King's College by royal charter under George II of Great Britain on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, it is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest in the United States.The university was renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolution, and in 1787 was placed under a private board of trustees headed by former students Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. In 1896, the campus was moved to its current location and renamed Columbia University.Columbia is organized into 17 schools, two affiliated colleges—Barnard College and Teachers College—and two affiliated seminaries—Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) and Union Theological Seminary (UTS). The university's research efforts include the Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and accelerator laboratories with Big Tech firms such as Amazon and IBM. Columbia is a founding member of the Association of American Universities and was the first school in the United States to grant the MD degree. The university also supports the administration of the annual Pulitzer Prize, following the independent Pulitzer Prize Board's decisions.Columbia scientists and scholars have played a pivotal role in scientific breakthroughs including brain–computer interface; the laser and maser;nuclear magnetic resonance; the first nuclear pile; the first nuclear fission reaction in the Americas; the first evidence for plate tectonics and continental drift; and much of the initial research and planning for the Manhattan Project during World War II.As of December 2021[update], its alumni, faculty, and staff have included 7 of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America;[a]4 U.S. presidents;[b] 34 foreign heads of state or government;[c] 2 secretaries-general of the United Nations;[n 1] 10 justices of the United States Supreme Court; 103 Nobel laureates; 125 National Academy of Sciences members; 53 living billionaires;23 Olympic medalists; 33 Academy Award winners; and 125 Pulitzer Prize recipients.