University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1912-10-10

lirly honored in having on its campus
a monument that was designed by
Thomas Jefferson and stood for forty
years over his grave. Yet few of the
students know the history of this
monument or of the other that has
been erected to David Barton, one OF
Missouri's statesmen.
In front of Academic Hall, near the
entrance to the auditorium, stands
the monument to the author of the
Declaration of Independence. It is
Clipped and worn and there is no
mark on it to tell for whom it was
erected. Only the record of birth and
death. that indistinct, can be seen.
In the summer of 1888 DR.. S. S.
Laws. then president of the Univer-
sity of Missouri, wrote to the Misses
Randolph, great-grand- daughters of
Thomas Jefferson, asking them that
the old monument be given to this
University, the chief school of the
greatest state carved out of the terri
tory purchased under the administra-
tion of Thomas Jefferson and known
as the Louisiana Purchase. That's
what the forty-fourth catalogue, is
sued in the session of 1SS5-1S86, SAYS
about it.
A new monument of the same de-
sign had been recently built by an
appropriation from Congress of $1O,-
900. The Jefferson heirs granted the
request of Doctor Laws. who was as
sisted in getting the relic by A. F..
Fleet, professor of Greek in this Uni
versity at that time
The monument was designed and
plans drawn for it by Jefferson some
time before he died. Here is an ex-
tract from his letter stating what he
wished done after his death:
"On the grave plain die or cube
of 3 feet. and this to be surmounted
by an Obelisk, feet of single stone,
Is Not word more than the
inscription:
Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson.
Author of the Declaration of Amer
ican Independence of the Statutes
of Virginia for Religious Freedom
and Father of the State University
of Virginia,
because by these, as testimony that
| have lived, l wish most to be re-
membered." -
On the die is the inscription:
Born April 2, 1743. o. S.
Died July 4, 1926.
Jefferson also asked that the mon
ument be made of cheap stone. 1t is
noticeable that he says nothing about
the Louisiana Purchase, though that
was probably the second greatest
event in our history with which he
was directly connected.
At the chapel on January 9, 1894
after the monument had been placed
in position here, Professor Fleet
spoke on the Louisiana Purchase. A
part of his speech is printed in the
catalogue for that year. Prof. E. A.
Allen, now emeritus professor, then
in charge of the English department.
also told the students that when he
was at school at the University Of
Virginia he used often to sit and
study at the foot of this monument
on the slopes of Monticello.
An unpublished history of the Uni
versity of Missouri, written by Col.
w. F. Switzler, tells also of a mon
ument to Washington that at one
time stood on the University campus.
At the same time that Professor Fleet
visited Virginia and saw the Jeffer-
son monument. he also arranged for
Doctor Laws the purchase of the
bronze statute of Washington that
had stood for quarter of a century
in the park about the state house at
Richmond, Va. He paid $4,000 for it.
When he left since the University
had no funds with which to buy the
statue, he took it with him. 1t now
stands in Cincinnati, Ohio, where it
is owned by cousin of Doctor Laws.
The other monument on the cam
pus is that in memory of David Bar
ton. 1t stands near the entrance to
the library. 1t differs only slightly
from the Jefferson monument in be-
ing a little more ornate.
David Barton was a native of Ten