George Mason University (GMU, Mason, or George Mason) is a public research university located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C.[9] Initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, it became an independent institution in 1972.[1] The university is named after the founding father George Mason, a Virginia planter and politician who authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the basis for the U.S. Constitution's Bill of Rights. Mason operates four campuses in Virginia, the main campus being in Fairfax, with a fifth campus in Songdo, South Korea. The university recognizes 500 student groups as well as 41 fraternities and sororities. In 2016, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education released new listings that included George Mason in the “Highest Research Activity” (R1) category.[10]