The American University (AU or American) is a personal studies university in Washington, D.C. Its most important campus spans ninety acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, withinside the Spring Valley community of Northwest D.C. AU turned into chartered via way of means of an Act of Congress in 1893 on the urging of Methodist bishop John Fletcher Hurst, who sought to create an group that might sell public service, internationalism, and pragmatic idealism.