Tulane University is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was founded as a public medical college in 1834 and became a comprehensive university in 1847. The institution was made private under the endowments of Paul Tulane and Josephine Louise Newcomb in 1884. Tulane is the 9th oldest private university in the Association of American Universities, which consists of major research universities in the United States and Canada. The Tulane University Law School and Tulane University Medical School are considered the 12th oldest and 15th oldest law and medical schools, respectively, in the United States.Alumni include prominent entrepreneurs, founders, and inventors in technology, medical devices, entertainment, retail, mass media, fashion, and public policy; the President of Costa Rica; U.S. State governors; Federal judges (including a Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court); U.S. Senators; U.S. Members of Congress (including a Speaker of the House); heads of Federal agencies; two Surgeons General of the United States; U.S. diplomats; at least 23 undergraduate Marshall scholars (which ranks Tulane 18th among all universities and colleges); at least 18 Rhodes scholars; at least 12 Truman scholars; 155 Fulbright scholars; prominent screenwriters; Emmy-award winners; Oscar-Award winners; Pulitzer-prize-winning authors; chief executive officers; major law firm partners; university presidents; living billionaires including Ricardo Salinas Pliego; Stanley Motta; David Filo; and Jerry Springer. At least two Nobel laureates have been affiliated with the university.