University of Virginia Library

Jeffersonian Tradition
Topic Of Raven Speech

Following three riots the
University in June, August, and
September of 1825, Thomas
Jefferson wrote his young nephew
concerning students. He advised
him to "keep aloof from them as
you would from the infected
subjects of the yellow fever of the
pestilence."

"Consider yourself, when with
them, as among the patients of
Bedlam, more in need of medical
care than moral counsel...no good
can ever result from any attempts
to set these fiery zealots to rights,
either in fact or principle.

Angry Bull

Get by them, as you would by
an angry bull; it is not for a man of
sense to dispute the road with such
an animal."

The above quote was one of the
many highlights in a speech given
last night to the Raven Society by
D. Alan Williams, Dean of Student
Affairs. Dean Williams began his
speech by saying, "I suppose that in
the 150th year of the University it
would be appropriate to talk about
Mr. Jefferson," and then he went
on to tell about Mr. Jefferson's
original concept of the University.

Free Discourse

"Mr. Jefferson felt that the
University should be a place where
the student would learn as much
out of class, as in class," said Dean
Williams. "He envisioned a place
where students would not only
learn from their professors but also
live, eat, and have daily discourse
with them. Dean Williams
particularly stressed the point of
free discourse.

"The role of the student in Mr.
Jefferson's mind," Dean Williams
said, "was to be engaged in a
full time process of education. Mr.
Jefferson felt that the object of a
good education was to provide a
man with the tools of his business,
to improve his morals and faculties,
to help him to know and protect
his rights, and to teach him to
observe with diligence any social
bond which he may enter into."

An interesting note on student
discipline and government came
forth when Dean Williams said,
"Mr. Jefferson felt that the
students would provide the best
government for themselves." In the
early years of the University,
however, this did not prove to be
the case because the student body,
lacking the age, maturity, and
continuity that Jefferson had
expected, often rose in mild revolt
against the administration, which in
those days consisted of Thomas
Jefferson, James Monroe, and John
Adams. Once the militia was
actually called upon to occupy the
Rotunda and expel the dissident
students.

During a question and answer
period following the speech, the
question was raised as to how the
"Academical Village" would be
kept from turning into an
academical city, if it had not
already done so. Dean Williams
answered that the principles that
Jefferson had in mind when he
founded the University are fairly
adaptable to any university,
especially in terms of close student
relationships.

Close Relationships

He went on to say that it is up
to the individual student as much as
the community to maintain close
relationships and that the
fraternities were probably the best
example of close relationships that
could be found at the University.

Among the audience of about
twenty people were Raymond Bice,
who introduced Dean Williams. T.
Braxton Woody, and Charles C.
Calhoun, president of the Raven
Society.