Knowledge
will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own Governors,
must arm themselves with the power which Knowledge gives.
J. M. to William T. Barry, 4 August 1822
March
16, 2001 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of James Madison (1751
- 1836). During this anniversary year, many will be celebrating Madison
as the "Father of the Constitution" and the nation's fourth
president. At the University of Virginia there are additional reasons
to remember this Founding Father with gratitude, for he is truly an unsung
hero of the University. Overshadowed by the tremendous contributions made
by Thomas Jefferson to establish the University, Madison's role is often
overlooked, although he worked closely with Jefferson to realize his vision
for an institution of higher education to prepare students for their responsibilities
as citizens of the new Republic. After Jefferson's death in 1826, just
over a year after the University opened its doors to students, Madison
was elected the University's second Rector and guided the University through
its fledgling period of development, a period marked by financial difficulties,
the departure of several of its first faculty, and episodes of disruptive
student unruliness.
His bequest
in 1836 of $1,500 (equivalent to over $24,000 today) established the
library's first endowment, which still provides funds annually for the
purchase of books. In his will Madison also offered the University the
contents of his own extensive library to further enlarge the University
Library's collections, evidence that he shared Jefferson's view of the
library as central to the University's mission.
Additional sources of information about James Madison:
The Papers of James Madison
The Dolley Madison Project
Montpelier, The Home of James Madison
James Madison Museum
Madison
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