Evening star., 1943-03-29
Bv HAROLD ROGERS.

About 50 WaShlngtOn1anS VINO
trace their ancestry to Thomas JET
ferson will participate in ceremonies
dedicating the Jefferson Memorial,
on the banks of the Tidal Basin,
April 13.
This was indicated by check
of an incomplete invitation list
and interviews with some of the
prominent members of the FAM
lily. They will be seated in special
place at the memorial reserved for
relatives of the third President of
the United States.
Headed by Brig. Gen. Jefferson
Randolph Kean, 81, Jefferson's
great great grandson, the local
group of Jefferson's descendants in
cludes people prominent in many
fields of endeavor. They are, or have
been, active in medicine, science,
the military forces, education and
business. Most of them have priced
possessions once owned by Jefferson.
Gen. Kean is the Oldest living
Jefferson descendant. He is one of
the members of the official Jefferson
Memorial Commission. In his
Georgetown home, surrounded by
souvenirs of a long and distin-
guished career in the Medical
Corps of the Army, he displayed his
most priced Jeffersonian possession,
a beautiful sterling cup once used
at Monticello.
Gift to George Wythe.
The Inscription on the outside
shows the letters &c. w. to T. j."
But it was not gift from George
Washington. 1t came from George
Wythe, Chancellor of Virginia,
known as the first law teacher in
the United States, close friend of
Jefferson, and a signer of the
Declaration of independence.
Jefferson used to drink water out
OF the cup, Gen. Kean emphasized,
because he strongly opposed dis
titled spirits of any kind.
AS member of the official JET
ferson Memorial Commission, Gen.
Kean shares this distinction with
another prominent descendant,
Thomas Jefferson Coolidge of Bos-
ton, former Undersecretary OF the
Treasury. Mr.. Coolidge, who is an
outstanding representative of the
Coolidge branch of the Jefferson
family in New England, is chair
man Of the boards of the Old Col
ony Trust Co. of Boston and the
United Fruit Co. He is prominent
in many other financial institutions
and In art circles.
The tie between Gen. Kean and
Thomas Jefferson is graphically
shown in an Oil painting on the
wall Of his home, to which the gen.
eral pointed with pride.
That Is a picture" he said, "of
my grandfather, Col. Thomas JET
ferson Randolph, of Edge Hill, Va,
near Charlottesville. He was q
grandson of Thomas Jefferson. The
painting was by the French artist,
Guillaume."
Praises Memorial.
Gen. Kean feels that the Jeffer-
son Memorial is q fitting tribute to
the great exponent OF democracy
in many ways. One of the objec-
tives Of Jefferson's own writings,
Gen. Kean said, Is his opposition
to slavery.
Gen. Kean has been honored In
ternationally for achievements in
the field Of medicine. His latest
honor was the Gorgas medal, con-
ferred on him last December because
Of his work to curb yellow fever Ia
Cuba and his achievements ii the
medical department Of the Army.
He IS considered the father o1
the three administrative measures
on which the department was based
during the flrst World War: The
creation In 1903 Of the Medical Re-
serve Corps, the development in 1905
Of Army field medical supply depots
and the creation In 1917 Of the
United States organisation Of Army
base hospital units.