Thomas Jefferson's Views on Public Education

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890 edition. Excerpt: ... II. A STATE SHOULD HAVE A UNIVERSITY. It was a cherished conviction of Thomas Jefferson's that in a Commonwealth provision should be made for universities wisely suited to modern times, no less truly' tfrarrfor primary schools. As President of the United States lie signed bills making large appropriations of land for the exclusive benefit of academies, seminaries and colleges. To Washington, who had in view the devoting of a quite large amount of money to the founding, or to the support of, institutions of learning, Jefferson wrote a letter on Feb. 23rd, 1795, in which he laid before him a plan for the transferring of a great European college to the national Capital. All the professors of the celebrated College of Geneva--an institution which after exerting a wide influence in Europe was temporarily suppressed during the French Revolution--wished to transplant the college to America. In this letter* Jefferson characterized the College of Geneva as one of the eyes of Europe, the University of Edinburgh being the other. In the year 1783, Jefferson, although bowed with grief owing to the recent death of his wife, had with others endeavored to established a grammar school in Albemarle county, Virginia. A charter was obtained for this academy, in the--year 1803, but it can hardly be said to have been fairly founded until the year 1814., In that year * "Washington's Works," vol. xi., p. 473. friends of education held a meeting and Jefferson, who was present, was elected one of the trustees of "Albemarle academy." At another meeting Jefferson was appointed a member of a committee to draught a petition to the Assembly of Virginia requesting that Virginia appropriate certain public lands in Albemarle county for the support of the institution....