Johns Hopkins University, often abbreviated as simply Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU, is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins was the first U.S. university based on the European research institution model. It is ranked among the top universities in the United States and the world. The university was named for its first benefactor, the American entrepreneur, and Quaker philanthropist Johns Hopkins. Hopkins' $7 million bequest to establish the university was the largest philanthropic gift in U.S. history up to that time. Daniel Coit Gilman, who was inaugurated as Johns Hopkins's first president on February 22, 1876, led the university to revolutionize higher education in the U.S. by integrating teaching and research. In 1900, Johns Hopkins became a founding member of the American Association of Universities. The university has led all U.S. universities in annual research expenditures over the past three decades.