UVA - Jefferson's University

On Jefferson's tombstone he wrote his own epitaph listing his three major achievements in his opinion - that he was author of the American Declaration of Independence, of the statute of Virginia for religious freedom and father of the University of Virginia. Founder was the wrong term for Jefferson to use - he much preferred the father image. He missed out the small matter of being President of the United States.

Spent Friday in the bowels of the Alderman library but escaped for a tour. The main building - or rotunda - overlooks a green with academic "villas" down either side. Jefferson fathered the university - if that is the right word - in 1819 and it was up and running by 1825, so he was able to see it. He died on 4 July 1826 - 50 years to the day after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and on the same day as another founding father - John Adams. John Adams's final words - after Jefferson had died - were "Jefferson lives". No twitter.

The university is different from most founded at the time or before as it doesn't have a church or chapel in the main part - education is the most important thing - 1st years face the rotunda when they arrive and for graduation they face away, ready to take their learning to the outside world. See I was paying attention!

Here's one of the academic villas - there are 10 and they are all slightly different - different style columns, different friezes etc. This one has a plaque to commemorate the person who died of a heart attack when that balcony collapsed during graduation a few years ago.

The villas used to have classrooms on the bottom and the teachers upstairs - but now the teachers have the whole building to themselves. I presumed I would be given an honoury one for my time here, but it has not been forthcoming. The little rooms between are for fourth year students who have done something very good and it is a great honour to get them apparently. The teachers, or professors all have a very strict uniform - tweed jackets, bow ties and battered leather briefcases. They all walk around looking like they would rather be any where else than there - but I think it would be a fantastic place to be. Apparently on Halloween there is a huge trick or treat party on the main green and all the children of the town are invited etc.

Learnt that UVA has the second highest number of secret clubs of all universities in the US after Harvard. Not sure how they know that if they are secret. The most secret of the secret societies is the 7 Club - they are top top secret apparently and if you want to get a letter to them, you place it in the hand of the statue of Thomas Jefferson in the rotunda. They give lots of money to charities etc. Also got a lecture on how they don't have freshman, sophomores and seniors at UVA as apparently we are all always learning throughout life - so they just have 1st year, 2nd year etc.

The last picture is taken from the top of the Rotunda. The black covers are to protect the column tops. Apparently on Jefferson's final visit, he went to that window and stood there for so long a student brought him a chair and he sat there for two hours. He never returned!