University of Virginia Library

Co-Education

Mr. Earl Glosser's article of
Monday last was well received, at
least in this quarter. As an alumnus
of the University, I have conveyed
my thoughts to Mr. Shannon's
study committee on co-education,
and I hope it will respond to the
needs of the time. For the most
part, complaints on this subject
generally involve some "tradition"
or another; I've heard people actually
say "it would be a violation
of Jeffersonian principle..." My immediate
reaction: Nonsense! It
seems students and former students
are always attributing to Jefferson
those things which were of minor
importance while conveniently disposing
of his more fruitful concepts.
How is it possible for one to
say "For here we are not afraid to
follow the truth, wherever it may
lead us, nor to tolerate error, so
long as reason is left free to combat
it"... and also hold that women are
not educable. More to the point,
the quote seems to bear up even
under the tremendous pressure of
an industrial society...the latter
thought on women quite obviously
does not...which would you
imagine Jefferson might hold more
dear as he did the Bill of Rights,
Virginia's Statute on Religious
Freedom, and the University?