Minutes of University of Virginia Board of Visitors, 4 October 1819
Minutes of University of Virginia Board of Visitors
At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia at the sd University on Monday the 4th of October1 1819. present Thomas Jefferson, Robert Taylor, James Madison, Chapman Johnson & John Hartwell Cocke.
Resolved that instead of the Hotel, which had been directed to be built in this present year by the Visitors of the Central College, at their meeting of Feb. 26. & approved by this board on the 29th of March last, the erection of an additional pavilion by the Committee of Superintendance, is approved: as also their engagements for two other additional pavilions and dormitories, in anticipation of the funds of the ensuing year.
Resolved that, for the accomplishment of the buildings commenced, and for all other lawful expences & disbursements on behalf of the University, the Bursar be authorised, with the approbation of a member of the committee of Superintendance, to draw on the President & Directors of the Literary fund, for the whole, or any part, of the public donation charged on that fund, for the ensuing year 1820. so soon as the same shall become payable.2
It is the opinion of the board that at least three other Pavilions, making ten with those in hand, five Hotels, and additional Dormitories, in number depending on that of the Students who shall apply for admission into the University, with their Appendages, will be necessary for the proper accomodation of the whole number of Professors contemplated by the legislature, and that the Proctor under the direction of the Committee of Superintendance, be required to make an estimate of the whole expence of compleating such buildings, distinguishing the expence of each, and that such estimate3 should accompany the Report of this board to the President and Directors of the Literary fund.4
Resolved that as the stone in the neighborhood of the University is found not capable of being wrought into Capitels for the columns of some of the Pavilions, and it may be necessary to procure elsewhere proper stone or marble, & to have such Capitels executed here or elsewhere, the Proctor be authorised to take such measures relative thereto, and to make such arrangements for their execution either by the two Italian artists engaged for that purpose, or by others on compromise with them as the Committee of superintendance shall approve.
It appearing to the board that the buildings & the funds of the University will not be in a condition to justify the commencement of any of it’s schools during the next spring, & that therefore the duties of the Professorships5 to which Dr Thomas Cooper was appointed must be deferred, the Committee of superintendance is instructed to communicate that fact to Dr Cooper, to arrange with him the terms on which the delay may be made consistent with his convenience, & conformable to an honorable fulfilment of our engagements6 with him; and to report their proceedings to the board at their next meeting.
An inventory of the property conveyed by the Proctor of the Central College to the President and Directors of the Literary fund, a Statement of the funds in money and credits of the sd College conveyed for the use of the University, with Accounts of the disbursements, & of the funds in hand, from the close of the preceding accounts to the last day of September in this present year, as furnished by the Bursar and Proctor, and a draught of a Report of the same, and of the condition of the University being proposed to the board, the same, after consideration & amendment is agreed to in the following words, to wit,
[The report that follows at this point is printed as the next document.]
And the Rector is instructed to authenticate & transmit the same, with the documents therein referred to, to the President & Directors of the Literary fund, according to law.
And the board adjourns itself indefinitely.
Th: Jefferson Rector. |
Oct. 4. 1819. |
MS (ViU: TJP-VMTJ); entirely in TJ’s hand. Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJCC). Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJHC). Tr (ViU: TJP-VMJB). Tr (ViU: TJP-PP); undated extract written in TJ’s hand on a slip of paper and signed by him as rector; endorsed by Arthur S. Brockenbrough: “Estimate of buildg called for by Visitors.”
TJ and John H. Cocke comprised the committee of superintendance. The public donation was the state’s annual $15,000 appropriation to the University of Virginia (see note to Minutes of Central College Board of Visitors, 26 Feb. 1819). The two italian artists were Giacomo Raggi and Michele Raggi.
1. Word interlined in place of “September.”
2. TJ’s extract begins here.
3. All full Trs: “statement.”
4. TJ’s extract ends here.
5. All full Trs: “Professorship.”
6. All full Trs: “engagement.”
Index Entries
- Barksdale, Nelson; as Central College proctor search
- Brockenbrough, Arthur Spicer; as University of Virginia proctor search
- building materials; marble search
- Central College; Alexander Garrett’s Report on Central College Finances search
- Central College; Nelson Barksdale’s Inventory of Central College Property Conveyed to the University of Virginia search
- Cocke, John Hartwell (1780–1866); as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Cooper, Thomas; University of Virginia professorship proposed for search
- Garrett, Alexander; as Central College proctor search
- Garrett, Alexander; as Central College treasurer search
- Garrett, Alexander; as University of Virginia bursar search
- Italy; stonecutters from search
- Johnson, Chapman; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Literary Fund; funds of search
- Literary Fund; University of Virginia Board of Visitors Report to search
- marble; and G. Raggi and M. Raggi search
- Raggi, Giacomo; as stonecutter for University of Virginia search
- Raggi, Michele; as stonecutter for University of Virginia search
- Taylor, Robert Barraud; as member of University of Virginia Board of Visitors search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; Arthur S. Brockenbrough’s Cost Estimates for University of Virginia Building Construction search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; Arthur S. Brockenbrough’s Statement of Debts of the University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; Arthur S. Brockenbrough’s Statement of Expenditures by the University of Virginia search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; funding for search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; rector of search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; and faculty recruitment search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; committee of superintendence search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; meetings of search
- Virginia, University of; Board of Visitors; Minutes of search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; dormitory rooms search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; hotels search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; marble for search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; pavilions search
- Virginia, University of; Construction and Grounds; stonecutters for search
- Virginia, University of; Establishment; opening of delayed search
- Virginia, University of; Faculty and Curriculum; T. Cooper as proposed professor search
- Virginia; General Assembly search