University of Virginia Library

At a meeting of the Visitors of the University of Virginia at the
sd University on Monday the 4th. of October 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.

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 estimate should accompany the Report of this board to the President
and Directors of the Literary fund.

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 mea

sures 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 Professorships 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 engagements 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 funished 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,

`To the President & Directors of the Literary fund.

In obedience to the act of the Legislature of Virginia, intituled
`an act establishing an University' & enjoining on the Rector & Visitors
thereof `to make report annually to the President & Directors of the
Literary fund (to be laid before the legislature at their next succeeding
session) embracing a full account of the disbursements, the funds
on hand, & a general statement of the condition of the sd University,'
the sd Rector & Visitors make the following Report.

The Governor having been pleased, with the advice of council, to
appoint James Breckenridge, Joseph C. Cabell, John H. Cocke, Thomas
Jefferson, Chapman Johnson, James Madison & Robert Taylor to be Visitors
of the University of Virginia, & prescribed for their first meeting the
last Monday in March of the present year, the Visitors so appointed met
accordingly

at the site provided for the Central College, & adopted by
the legislature for that of the University, & proceeded to the duties
prescribed to them by the sd act of the legistlature. they appointed
Thomas Jefferson, one of their body, to be Rector, Alexander Garrett
Bursar, Arthur S. Brockenbrough Proctor, & Peter Minor their Secretary.
they examined into the state of the property conveyed by the Proctor
of the Central College to the President & Directors of the Literary
fund, had an Inventory thereof made by the Proctor, as it stood at
that day, specifying the items whereof it consisted, & noticing the
buildings & other improvements, made or in progress, a copy of which
Inventory is hereto annexed: & they required & recieved from the late
Treasurer of the Central College, now Bursar of the University, a
statement of the funds in money & credits of the sd College, conveyed
for the use of the sd University, specifying the monies recieved, those
paid away, to whom & for what purposes; what debts, to whom, & for what
purposes were due, & what part of the annual donation by the commonwealth
had been recieved; a copy of which statement is hereto also annexed:
& to these is added an account of the disbursements, & of the
funds in hand prepared by the Bursar & Proctor, from the close of the
preceding accounts to the last day of Sep. of the present year, as required
by law: & also an Estimate of the probable cost of the buildings
sh'll necessary for the accomodn of the whole number of Professors contemplated
by the legislature & of the Students

The Visitors of the Central college having been in treaty with Dr.
Thomas Cooper to be a Professor in the sd college, those of the University
confirmed his appointment as Professor Chemistry, mineralogy &
Natural Philosophy; & agreed with him for the purchase of his valuable
collection of minerals, & of his Philosophical apparatus. the time
however for the commencement of his functions is not yet ultimately
fixed. but they deemed it inexpedient to make any further appointments
of Professors until accomodations for their reception, & for that of
the students should be provided; & the rather as the salaries of the
Professors, when ever they commence, by absorbing the funds of the

University, will leave little to be employed in buildings for their
accomodation. they therefore concurred in the opinion of the Visitors
of the Central college, expressed in their resolution of Feb. 26. that
it was expedient that the funds of the University should be diverted as
little as possible to the general employment of Professors, until provision
should be made for their accomodation, & for boarding houses &
lodgings for the students: & for this purpose they gave directions under
which one of the Pavilions, & 15. of the dormitories, in the inventory
mentioned, have been as nearly finished as is deemed expedient until
wanted for occupation; & the other pavilion therein also mentioned will
be compleated this winter. 5. others are more or less advanced, each
sufficient to accomodate one Professor, & about 20. other dormitories
are in progress. these will probably have their walls compleated and
covered in during the present season, but will not be otherwise finished
but in the course of another. and in order to effect this much the Visitors
have been obliged to enter into engagements which will not only exhaust
the funds of the present year, but pledge those of the ensuing one
also. for, two seasons being generally requisite for the accomplishment
of good buildings, the one for their walls & covering, the other for
inner finishings, had the commencement of these been postponed to the
ensuing season, another year would have been added to the delays of the
institution.

The Visitors would have had sincere pleasure in announcing to the
President & Directors that they should be able to open the University,
in time & manner, to meet the public expectations. but the sums necessary
for the preliminary measure of providing accomodations will leave
the funds of the institution in a condition which does not enable them

to do this. if an early commencement however should be deemed of importance
enough to justify an additional & competent aid from the
funds over which your board presides, for effecting the residuary
buildings, the Visitors trust that they could have in place, by the
autumn or winter of the ensuing year the complement of Professors contemplated
by the law, and open the institution at that epoch with the
distinction called for by the interests & character of the state. and
were they to indulge their own judgment, it would be that the annual
tribute we are paying to other countries for the education of our
youth, the retention of that sum at home, & reciept of a greater from
abroad, which might flow to an University on an approved scale, would
make it a gainful employment of the money advanced, were even Dollars
& cents to mingle themselves with the considerations of an higher order
urging the accomplishment of this institution. but this urgency they
leave with confidence, as in duty bound, to the wiser judgment of the
legislature, with assurances, on the part of the Visitors, that, whether
with the present, or additional funds, they will omit nothing which
may hasten the desirable moment when the youth of their country may find
at home those resources of instruction which they have so long been in
the habit of seeking elsewhere: and when, by a sound education, a wholesome
direction may be given to Publicopinion, the safest guide and
guardian of the public morals & welfare, the Arbitress, in every nation,
of it's destinies to happiness or wretchedness, & the source to which,
as either pure or corrupted, the changes of condition in every country
on earth may be traced and ascribed.'

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.