The daily gazette., 1876-08-26

For the Gazette.
A University as Founded by JEFF
ferson.
The establishment of a University
in the State of Virginia, where should
be impaired to the youth of the land
learning of the higher branches of
knowledge, seems to have been one of
the earliest endeavors of Mr., Jefferson
And though 1t was for years that he
INDUCED his Imagination in such ap.
parently vain thoughts, yet after re-
firing from public life in 1909, his
cherished hopes began to be nu1tured
into realities. For forty long years
his person had been the victim of an
untiring existence but during none of
THE time had he permitted his interest
towards this desired end to wave in
the least; to the contrary it increased
till 1919 when the General Assembly
of Virginia decreed an act by which
the Central College, with all the inter-
ests and privileges was united and
transferred to the rector and visitors of
the University of Virginia. BY this
act, devolved upon Mr.. Jefferson the
whole planning as to the architecture
OF the new University buildings the
methods and subjects of instruction
and the laws of discipline by which
the future institution should be ad-
ministered and governed.
The great question of import here
that exercised the judgment of many
concerned was as to the particular
spot upon which the University should
be erected. The country arouud Mr..
Jefferson homestead had from time
been noted for possessing pro-
perties productive of excellent health.
while in the beauty of mountain seen,
cry none other excelled. Furthermore
the county of Albermarle was CEN
trally situated as compared with the
rest Virginia proper, and here also
it was that Mr.. Jefferson wished its
location, mindful of all these bearings
every friend readily assentcd to Mr..
Jefferson's wishes. From tradition
VIC have that it was a task of no little
effort on the part of Mr.. Jefferson to
secure the site most desired, in fact
the one which seemed to him by far
the more suited was the eminence now
occupied by the residence OF Colonel
Preston and at that time this was not
at all available, however near by,
small plantation was purchased from
ex President Madison, it being three
miles from Monticello, four from Mr..
Jetfe-son's place of birth-Shadwell- -
and one from Charlottesville. This
body of land included the once hal
lowed residence of Mr.. Monroe, after
wards President, who had by the ur>
gent request of Mr.. Jefferson removed
TO that county, still practicing how
ever his profession, law, in Charlottes>
Vile
bir. j Jefferson had during his visits
as Minister to France and Great Bris
tain singularly enough formed great
admiration for the masterpieces of
Italiaa sculpturiLg, as well as for the
| Grecian style of architecture, from q
reason we suppose of its prevalence at
| that day, and as soon as he was assured
| that his University was no longer
scheme of the future, he caused ships
to sail for Italy in order to bring in
return theCorinthian, Doric and Ionic
columns as well as much other useful
material which to this day decorate
the University buildings. Having
long since decided that the models of
the structures should be of the Italian
cast, the work was in good faith be>
gun and steadily went forward till in
the early part of the year 1924 the
buildings which he had designed, and
the erection of which he had person.
ally superintended, were so far COM
pleted as to enable him to inaugurate
the great and GROWING glory of his
long and useful life.
Mr.. jefferson all the while had with
his souls attention watched the ad,
vancement of education throughout
our land for specially was his interest
directed to the career of the literary
men, who held high positions at the
prominent institution of learnings. De-
termined to employ the best profes.
sors attainable, to teacnl the various
branches of literature and science, his
sense of duty to himself forbade him
from enticing professors, by decep-
tion from the other colleges to the
one which he himself was now about
to set into operation. Therefore to
avoid censure from all sources he di,
rected his attention 10 the old Univer-
stiles of England and the Continent of
| Europe in order to find the material
wanted, and accordingly with such q
mission an envoy was dispatched who
being successful returned with body
of learned gentlemen who in later
years proved to be among the greatest
| literary scholars of the age. And
with the fall of 1924 the various
schools were opened under the title of
the University of Virginia having in
attendance more than one hundred
scholars.
MIR. Jeife> son had always manifested
great disliking to the course of instrucl
tion as given at our American InstituA
tions and was sorely grieved at the
manner in which they all were con-
ducted thus readily comforting diplo-
mas as nothing more than certificates
of residence, and he had determined
that not only the course of instruction
but also the manner in which the in.
struction was given should be such at
his university as to elevate the stan
dard of scholarship in America. To