Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826 . Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Thomas Cooper .
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Poplar Forest near Lynchburg. Sep.1.17
Dear Sir
You will recollect that I formerly troubled you on the sub
-ject of a proper course to be established in a College of general science
such an establishment in my neighborhood (near Charlottesville), then
in contemplation only, has lately advanced so favorably as to get
into a course of execution. The single county in which it is located has
contributed 30,000.D. and we expect the rest of the state will subscribe libe-
-rally, and even that the legislature will adopt it as theirs, and
support it with the ample funds they are accumulating for the pur-
-poses of education. They have established it's constitution by a
law, have made the Governor of the state it's patron, given him
the nomination of visitors, six in number, and he has named
Colo. Monroe (the Pr. of the US.) Mr Madison, Mr Cabell, Genl. Cocke, Mr
Watson and myself the visitors, all of us within a radius of 30. miles
we have purchased a site of 200. acres, one mile above Charlottesville,
it is not proposed to erect one large building, which would exhaust
our funds at once; but on each side of a lawn 200.f. wide, we shall
erect separate pavilions, 220.f. apart, for each professor, & his school,
two story high, filling up the space between with a range of small
chambers or dormitories, of one story, for the students; the whole
connected by a covered colonnade in front. The pavilions, besides
the lecturing room, will have two or four rooms for the accomodation
of the professor, according to his family, with necessary offices, garden
etc. One of these pavilions is now in progress, and will be ready to
recieve a professor on the 1st. of April next. The first called for, as
first wanting, will be a professor of languages, to wit Greek & Latin
essentially, history, Rhetoric, Oratory, belles letters, to which if he adds
modern languages so much the better, to wit French, Spanish, Italian
and German. as his school will be the most numerous, we give him
Dr. Thos. Cooper.
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only 500.D. fixed, and 20.D. tuition fees for every scholar. it is not pos-
-sible to say beforehand how many these will be; but I have no doubt
of 40. or 50. the 1st. year, to be increased afterwards as his reputation
may increase. if of the first order, I should not doubt there rising
to one or two hundred. he would have to provide and pay his
necessary ushers. now it is to find a professor of the 1st. order of
critical knolege in the languages, and of good character besides,
that I apply to you, in the hope you may be able to recommend
one. had a common school of *Yankee Latin
been proposed, the
present visitors would not have been associated with it, nor any
application made to you for a teacher. one would have been adver-
-tised for, as for as stray horse. but you know what such a professor
should be, and have had better opportunities, than we have, of know-
-ing if such an one can be found in the US. whom you could recom-
-mend on all points, at least on all material ones. may there not be
good Classics among the refugee Irish here? and what is the character
of their Dublin College? We expect the next year to compleat two other pavilions for two
professors, embracing all the Mathematical & physiological sciences; &
the year following a 4th. for the Ideological branches. that destin-
-ed for zoology, botany, minerology, chemistry, anatomy, which will
be ready for April 1819. we have agreed to propose to yourself,
adding to it Law, because that will draw to it many students &
make it very profitable. to these professors 1000.D. fixed salary will be given
and 20.D. a year from each student. for a first rate Mathematician
I expect we must send to Europe. it is difficult to say what number of
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A digitally enhanced view of the text underneath the ink blot.
students we may count on (exclusive of the grammar school) but
I should think 2. or 3. from a county and we have 100. counties.
Wm. and Mary must fall down to a mere grammar school from the
unhealthiness of it's climate. The situation of Charlottesville is in
a mountainous, healthy, fertile country, delicious climate, good
water, cheap subsistence, and independent yeomanry, many wealthy
persons, good society, and free as air in religion and politics. fanati-
-cism and Philosophy have their equal scope, on the principle that
de gustibus non est disputandum. and I believe that a moral lectu-
-rer, on Sundays, would be as well attended, and paid, if he would
add a rational prayer, as a brawling presbyterian or baptist. I have
been thus particular, because I am very anxious you should come and
give us the benefit of your aid in making this seminary the first in the
Union, and drawing to it the youth of the other states. I really believe
you would be pleased with the situation, and it cannot but be a recom-
-mendation that lands of the 1st. degree of fertility here, on navigation,
are cheaper than anywhere else in the US. on the Atlantic waters,
and of course that it is the most favorable position for the permanent
establishment of a family. whatever professorships too are established
will be permanent, because we shall call for no professor until, after
building his pavilion, there shall be an additional sum of capital
deposited in the public funds, the interest of which will pay his
salary for ever. the professorships may therefore be considered as
quam diu se bene gesserint; of which such visitors as the governor will
appoint, will be the judges. come then, my dear sir, at any rate to
see the place. the Fredericsbg & Charlottesville stage will set you down
at my door, where you will find a welcome home as long as you
can let us possess you. but I wish your visit could be in autumn
and between the 25th. inst. & the 25th. of October, because I make
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Cooper Thos Sep.1.17
frequent and long visits at this place, and shall be parti-
-cularly here all November. mr. Correa too will be at Monticello
in October. he knows our part of the country well, & can tell you
if it is worth a visit. let me hear from you immediately, if
you please, on the subject of a professor of languages, and add
the degree of hope I may entertain of seeing you at Monticello.
I salute you with great friendship and respect.
Th:Jefferson
I mean the German Doctor's Latin, who, apologising for false quantity in
his pronunciation, said `nos Ge~rmani non obse~rvamus quanti~tadem
sylla~borum.' the Yankee teachers who come among us barbarise the
language in the same way.
