During the fall and spring semesters, students are given the opportunity to take a variety of courses with the University’s founder Thomas Jefferson as the center of the class’s curriculum.
An array of courses on Jefferson have been taught in recent years, including “Jefferson vs. Hamilton: The Early American Republic, 1783-1826,” “Age of Jefferson,” “Slavery, Jefferson and U.Va.” and “Mr. Jefferson and his University.”
This fall, students have the opportunity to choose from two courses about Jefferson — ARH 1700 “Thomas Jefferson’s Architecture” and INST 1605 “History of Mr. Jefferson’s University.”
Architecture Prof. Richard Wilson said “Thomas Jefferson’s Architecture” will cover a variety of material related to Jefferson’s life and his architectural influence in the United States.
“I’m assuming a lot of students in there don’t have a lot of background in the history of architecture, so I spend about two class periods sketching in the background the history of architecture especially as he knew it at that point in time,” Wilson said. “[I do] a little bit about American architecture prior to Jefferson … [and] I do a lecture or two on his life.”
From there, Wilson said he discusses some of the buildings Jefferson designed, including Monticello, the Virginia State Capitol and Poplar Forest. He concludes the course by discussing architecture at the University.
Throughout the semester, the class takes a number of field trips to view Jefferson’s architecture. The class looks at architecture on the Lawn and in the Pavilions and also takes a trip to Monticello.
Wilson also takes his class to visit the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library to view some of Jefferson’s architectural drawings and designs.
Wilson said he hopes he class will also be able to take a trip to Richmond to visit the Virginia State Capitol.
“I would say it’s his most important building — not his greatest building — but his most important because it was the first public building built after the [American] Revolution,” Wilson said.
Students also have the opportunity to take “History of Mr. Jefferson’s University” this fall.
Second-year Batten student Juliana McCormick — one of two students to teach the course this past fall alongside Assoc. Prof. Kirt Von Daacke — said the class “covers the complex history of the University of Virginia, detailing its founding and founder as well as the many changes that have occurred at the University since it opened its doors to students in 1825.”
The class includes a range of topics, including Jefferson and the early University, slavery at the University, the Civil War, integration and co-education, student protests and secret societies, McCormick said. The course is offered to 60 students.
McCormick said she believes it is important for the University to offer courses that “critically examine Jefferson.”
“He was our founder and his contributions to our nation are paralleled by few,” McCormick said. “However, there is a culture of unquestioning adoration of Jefferson that is common on our Grounds, and I believe it's imperative that students understand both Jefferson's contributions and his contradictions, like his declaring that ‘all men are created equal’ while owning enslaved laborers.”
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