All of the nearly 4,000 tickets for GW’s Inaugural Ball sold out on Tuesday evening, less than 24 hours after they were made available for purchase.

University spokeswoman Tracy Schario said GW will maintain a wait list, but she said the 4,000 tickets sold represent the capacity of the four ballrooms in the Omni-Shoreham Hotel. The ball, a GW tradition since 1993, will celebrate the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama with GW students, faculty, alumni and an invite list of elected officials and members of the incoming administration.

Schario said Tuesday’s record-breaking sale – tickets were available for a discounted $85 – showed how much interest has already been generated about the upcoming inauguration. For members of the GW community who missed out on purchasing ball tickets, Schario said the University is already looking at creating more programming on Inauguration Day.

“There is an unprecedented level of excitement so we will be looking at all the possible ways to celebrate the new president,” Schario said. “We want to put a memorable and lasting GW stamp on this historic day.”