Thomas Jefferson Papers

Thomas Cooper to Thomas Jefferson, 3 September 1818

From Thomas Cooper

september 3. 1818

Dear sir

M. Correa and I will set out about the 16th. He will have to stay 2 or 3 days in Washington: we then set off for your Place.

In mean time, I think the present opportunity afforded us by Hare’s election ought not to be lost; but the moment should be taken to appeal to the Parents in Virginia, on the strange infatuation of sending their children to be educated here, when they [could]1 have that better done at home; whether for general or medical education

About 300 new Students come here yearly. A greater proportion come from Virginia who do not graduate, than from other places: for Virginia affords more young men who come merely for the purposes of general education. Hence, the proportion of Students from Virginia here, will be greater than the following table of mere graduates wd indicate. The following are the graduates last year, 10 Ap. 1818.

Massach. 1     Now, suppose the annual supply 300 as Dr Chapman states to me it is: then 87 : 38 :: 300 : 130+But from the consideration above mentd, that fewer graduate in proportion from Virginia, I shd take the annual supply from Virginia alone at 150 who spend annually on the average 500$—75,000.A medical school with you (that is in your state) wd arrest all the southern & western Students.I wd come on earlier, but I wait for M. Correa, whose judgement and experience will greatly aid our consultations.   I am as usual with great respect
N. Yk 1 
N. Jersey 3 
Penna 21 
Delaware 2 
Maryland 3 
Virginia 38 
N. Carol. 4 
S. Carol. 7 
Georgia 2 
Kenty 3 
Mississ. 1 
Louisiana 1 
87.
Dear Sir Your friend and faithful Servant

Thomas Cooper

RC (DLC); endorsed by TJ as received 11 Sept. 1818 and so recorded in SJL. RC (DLC); address cover only; with PoC of TJ to Joseph Milligan, 9 Dec. 1818, on verso; addressed: “Thomas Jefferson Esq Montecello Virginia”; franked; postmarked Philadelphia, 3 Sept.

1Omitted word editorially supplied.

Index Entries

  • Chapman, Nathaniel; professorship of search
  • Cooper, Thomas; academic career of search
  • Cooper, Thomas; letters from search
  • Cooper, Thomas; on medical education search
  • Corrêa da Serra, José; proposed visit of search
  • education; in Va. search
  • Hare, Robert; as university professor search
  • medicine; education in search
  • Pennsylvania, University of search
  • schools and colleges; University of Pennsylvania search
  • Virginia; medical education in search