University of Virginia Library

Serenity And Elegance

The outward signs of the Jeffersonian
tradition can be deceptive.
The serenity and elegance of the
buildings and grounds produce an
atmosphere easily mistaken for
Southern indolence; an impression
that the University is a languid
holdover from the days before
Appomattox, a pleasant but hardly
stimulating haven where scions of
the First Families of Virginia pass
four agreeable years to acquire the
one diploma that certifies them as
gentlemen.