John C. Calhoun to Thomas Jefferson, 2 June 1823
From John C. Calhoun
Washington 2d June 1823
Dear Sir,
I take the liberty of introducing to your acquaintance Mr Ruggles, who, in taking an excursion on account of his health, intends to visit your neighbourhood and is desireous to pay his respects [to]1 one, who occupies so much of the affection of the American people, as yourself. He is a young gentleman of respectability, and I take much pleasure in gratifying his desire of making your acquaintance.2
J. C. Calhoun
RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 12 June 1823 and so recorded (with additional notation: “by mr Ruggles”) in SJL. RC (MHi); address cover only; with Dft of TJ to Joel Yancey, 1 Apr. 1824, on verso; addressed: “Hon Thos Jefferson Bedford—Virginia” by “Mr Ruggles.”
mr ruggles was most likely William Ruggles (1797–1877), educator, who was born in Rochester, Massachusetts, and graduated from Brown University in 1820. In 1822 he became a tutor at Columbian College (later Columbian University, and afterward George Washington University) in Washington, D.C., and that same year he visited John Adams. Ruggles remained at Columbian, where he was a professor successively of mathematics and natural philosophy, 1824–55, mechanical philosophy and astronomy, 1855–60, mathematics and civil polity, 1861–65, and political economy and civil polity, 1865–74. He also served the college as acting president, 1841–43, 1854–55, and 1858–59, and was professor emeritus when he died at Schooley’s Mountain, Morris County, New Jersey (William Cathcart, ed., The Baptist Encyclopædia [rev. ed., 1883], 251–4, 1014–5; Historical Catalogue of Brown University, 1764–1904 [1905], 128; Howard L. Hodgkins, comp., Historical Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of The Columbian University, Washington, D. C., 1821–1891 [1891], 11–2, 42, 45; Abraham Holmes to Adams, 10 Aug. 1822 [MHi: Adams Papers]; Hartford, Conn., Christian Secretary, 19 Sept. 1877).
1. Omitted word editorially supplied.
2. Manuscript: “acquantance.”
Index Entries
- Calhoun, John Caldwell; introduces W. Ruggles to TJ search
- Calhoun, John Caldwell; letters from search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Correspondence; letters of introduction to search
- Monticello (TJ’s Albemarle Co. estate); Visitors to; Ruggles, William search
- Ruggles, William; identified search
- Ruggles, William; introduced to TJ search
- Ruggles, William; visits Monticello search