Named to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors on 13 February 1819, Thomas Jefferson oversaw numerous facets of the infant institution. He worked closely with the successive proctors Nelson Barksdale and Arthur S. Brockenbrough to hire and oversee builders and craftsmen. Jefferson also responded to unsolicited applications for professorships, often repeating the board’s decision to devote all of the university’s funds initially on construction rather than hiring a faculty. Read more »
Previously Featured Letters
- Quashing a Rumor
- A Sampling of Cider
- John H. Cocke's Account of the Central College Corner Stone Laying
- A Gift of Honey
- A Too-Tight Fit
- An Alcoholic Grandson-in-Law
- Strong Views on Fortified Wine
- A Grandson’s Linguistic Education
- A Mammoth Tooth
- A Slave Writes Jefferson’s Granddaughter
- A Surprising Departure
- A Disappointing Tobacco Shipment
- The Season of Mince Pies
- Too Many Books
- An Atmospheric Phenomenon
- A Wager Settled
- A Difficult Trip to Natural Bridge
- A Presidential Transition
- An Oddly Precise Extortion Demand
- Hostility to Dogs
- A Remorseful Tippler
- Not Enough Vegetables
- A Standing Order for Groceries
- A Granddaughter's Silkworms
Learn more about the important work of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series.