Thomas Jefferson to John Griscom, 6 October 1823
To John Griscom
Monticello Oct. 6. 23.
Sir
The object of the present letter will, in the eye of a son of science, excuse, I trust, the liberty a stranger takes in addressing it to you. we are engaged, in this state, in establishing an University on a scale of some extent, and we are in hopes it may get into operation in the course of the ensuing year. we have yet to form our code of regulations for the administration and discipline of the institution, and we are desirous of obtaining the aid of whatever light1 may be derived from the provisions of other similar institutions.2 I have been told of a work by Russel on the regulations of the Universities of Scotland, of Cambridge and some others from which useful information may be obtained on that subject, and I have had application made for it to the booksellers of Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and Portsmouth, from none of whom can it be obtained. one of them has promised to procure it for me,3 from England, with the least possible delay. but in the mean time we lose the ensuing winter, within the course of which our code should be prepared. a letter from Capt Chapman, a British officer who did me the favor of calling on me, and was kind enough to take some interest in our institution which he visited, informs me that you possess this book. may I presume to ask the loan of it during the ensuing winter? I pledge to you my honor that it shall be safely returned, and that if, contrary to all probabilities, it were to miscarry by the mail, the one to be imported for myself shall replace it. if wrapped in strong paper, and addressed to me at Monticello Virginia, it will come by mail4 with perfect safety. if there be any printed collection of the regulations of the College of N. York, you would add to the obligation by sending me a copy of them.5 with a hope that the object will apologise for the freedom of this application, I pray you to accept the assurance of my great respect.
Th: Jefferson
RC (NNgWHM); addressed: “Mr John Griscom Professor of Chemistry and Natural Philosophy New York”; franked; postmarked. Dft (DLC); lacking dateline and underlining; endorsed by TJ.
John Griscom (1774–1852), educator, chemist, and philanthropist, was born in Hancock’s Bridge, Salem County, New Jersey. Although he received his early education in local schools and briefly attended Friends’ Academy in Philadelphia in 1783, he was self-taught in chemistry and physics. Griscom was teaching by 1794 at the Friends’ school in Burlington, New Jersey. He moved in 1807 to New York City, where he established a private school and presented chemical lectures to the public. In 1817 Griscom was among the founders of the New York Society for the Prevention of Pauperism. He traveled from 1818 to 1819 in Europe, where he visited scientists and philanthropists and observed schools, hospitals, and prisons, later publishing his thoughts in A Year in Europe, 2 vols. (New York, 1823). In 1825 Griscom reorganized his academy as the New York High School for boys, employing Lancasterian teaching methods. He closed it in 1831. During his time in New York, Griscom also held chemistry professorships at Queen’s College, 1812–16, Columbia College (later Columbia University), 1813–20, and the Rutgers Medical College (soon renamed the Rutgers Medical Faculty of Geneva College), 1826–30. He was the author of A Discourse, on the Importance of Character and Education, in the United States (New York, 1823), and Monitorial Instruction. An Address, pronounced at the Opening of the New-York High-School, with notes and illustrations (New York, 1825; Poor, Jefferson’s Library, 6 [no. 231]; TJ’s copy in Vi, inscribed by Griscom [trimmed]: “Th. Jefferson respectfully from J Grisco[m]).” After leaving New York, Griscom served as principal of the Friends’ school in Providence, Rhode Island, 1832–34, was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1836, worked in Haverford, Pennsylvania, as an editor of the Journal of the Franklin Institute, and finally returned as superintendent of public schools to Burlington, where he died (ANB; DAB; John H. Griscom, Memoir of John Griscom, LL.D. [1859]; William Wade Hinshaw and others, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy [1936–50; repr. 1969–77], 2:132; Thomas, Columbia University Officers and Alumni, 27, 61; A General Catalogue of the Officers and Graduates of Rutgers College [1859], 16; APS, Minutes, 15 Jan. 1836 [MS in PPAmP]; Burlington Co. Surrogate’s Court Probate Records, Miscellaneous Old Records, file G1; New-York Daily Times, 28 Feb. 1852).
The college of n. york was Columbia College (later Columbia University).
1. Preceding five words (with “light” plural) interlined in Dft in place of “all the lights which.”
2. Word interlined in Dft in place of “sciences.”
3. Preceding two words interlined in Dft.
4. Preceding two words added in margin of Dft.
5. Sentence interlined in Dft.
Index Entries
- American Philosophical Society; members of search
- books; on education search
- Chapman, John James; and books for TJ search
- Chapman, John James; visits Monticello search
- Columbia College (later Columbia University); regulations governing search
- education, collegiate; works on search
- Griscom, John; and collegiate regulations search
- Griscom, John; identified search
- Griscom, John; letters to search
- Griscom, John; Monitorial Instruction. An Address, pronounced at the Opening of the New-York High-School, with notes and illustrations search
- Laval, John; and books for TJ search
- Monitorial Instruction. An Address, pronounced at the Opening of the New-York High-School, with notes and illustrations (J. Griscom) search
- Monticello (TJ’s Albemarle Co. estate); Visitors to; Chapman, John James search
- Russell, Michael; View of the System of Education at present pursued in the Schools and Universities of Scotland search
- schools and colleges; Columbia College (later Columbia University) search
- schools and colleges; laws and regulations governing search
- Scotland; works on schools and universities in search
- View of the System of Education at present pursued in the Schools and Universities of Scotland (M. Russell) search
- Virginia, University of; Administration and Financial Affairs; laws and regulations governing search