The Johns Hopkins University (informally Johns Hopkins, JHU, or just Hopkins) is a not-for-profit private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The university was founded on January 22, 1876, and named for its benefactor, the philanthropist Johns Hopkins. Daniel Coit Gilman was inaugurated as the first president on February 22, 1876. Johns Hopkins maintains campuses in Maryland; Washington, D.C. ; Italy; China and Singapore.