The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-05-15

necessary to touch in general way upoi the chief events narrated under the va rious epochs in the two volumes befor, the writer
 'The first period deals with the activ ities of Jefferson in the establishment O system of education in Virginia iron the time he drew the bill of 1779 unti ISIS when he saw his scheme ripen into the final establishment of the Univer sity of Virginia. Jefferson was not tc live to see the realization of his grea scheme for public education as a. whole but, when in February, ISIS, the genera assembly voted in favor of the estab. lishment of a state university, he hae succeeded in securing that part of it 1T which he was most deeply interested and the one which he was the best equipped to carry out by his own pre-. vious studies and observation.
 Tn the second period the author treats very properly of the university in germ nation into academy. then into college and leads up to the passage of an act in the general Assembly in the sessions of 1s17-1s18, as substitute for Jeffer- sons bill to establish state university The act authorizes the establishment oi a great seat of learning for the whole commonwealth and the selection of a commission to choose it's site. The strug- gle for that site was to be adjourned tc were attended by Jefferson. For the frs: and last time in the history of that pro- tracted controversy, he was to be present in person on the ground where the bat. tie was actually fought. This chapter shows Jeffersons preference for uni versity site. which was, of course Charlottesville, on account of it's central and healthful location, and perhaps be- cause of his knowledge that this was a center of culture for the state in those times and commanded more influence and financial support. In the history of the university region, the author gives a striking description of the remarkable natural beauty of that region, which is not surpassed in detail anywhere on the American continent. And in it's early social life the author goes into great detail in naming and giving the history of the fine old aristocratic families which owned estates in and around the site of the university. Among them he names the Jeffersons, father and son Jemes Madison, father of the constitu- tion and fourth president; James Mon- roe. the fifth president and author of the celebrated Doctrine which bears his name.
 'In this review, it is unnecessary to dwell upon the authors faithful account of the origin of Albermarle academy which soon gave place to Central col lege, as these were but steps which were idea of a state university. Of course the author gives in detail the history of the struggle covering number oi years in which Jefferson finally tri- umphed and saw the university finally begun to be realized, and he very justly recounts the part which Jefferson's great coadjutors, Joseph H. Cabell and John Hartwell Cooke, played in these early efforts, and he gives a brief and inter- esting biographical sketch of these two men whose names will always be linked with that of Jefferson in founding the university.
 The third period gives an account of the history of the meeting of the Rock fish Gap commission and describes how they came by private conveyance frcn their homes in different parts of the state, giving the full personnel of the commission, and it is only necessary to mention that Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were among them. The report was the adoption by the commis- sion of the plan of Jefferson for courses which have already been mentioned. An interesting account is given of the de bate over the selection of site, Staun- ton, Washington college at Lexington and Central college all being championed by different members of the commission and for various reasons. Charlottesville was the most central and accessible of all