THE PEOGEESS OF SCIENCE. 



281 



THE PEOGEESS OF SCIENCE. 



THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. 



The inauguration of Dr. E. A. Alder- 

 man as the first president of the Uni- 

 versity of Virginia closes a historical 

 period of eighty years, during which 

 the institution has occupied a some- 

 what unique position in our educa- 

 tional system. The inscription pre- 

 pared by Jefferson and inscribed on his 

 tomb reads : ' Here was buried Thomas 



dent, the administration being con- 

 ducted by the faculty with their elected 

 chairman and a rector and visitors rep- 

 resenting the people through the gov- 

 ernor's appointment. There were 

 originally eight independent schools 

 or departments — ancient languages, 

 modern languages, mathematics, nat- 

 ural philosophy, moral philosophy, 

 chemistry, medicine and law. A stu- 



The Leander McCormick Observatory. 



Jefferson, author of the Declaration of 

 Independence, of the Statute of Vir- 

 ginia for Religious Freedom, and 

 Father of the University of Virginia.' 

 The catalogue of the university devotes 

 a page to the statement : " Founded by 

 Thomas Jefferson. — ' An institution is 

 the lengthened shadow of one man.' " 

 And it is true that the university has 

 maintained much of the intellectual 

 aristocracy and democratic simplicity 

 of its founder. There was no presi- 



dent could matriculate in any one of 

 these schools, and the elective group 

 system was thus early established. 

 There were no entrance examinations; 

 no distinction was made between cul- 

 tural and professional studies; no de- 

 gree other than ' graduate ' was given 

 on the completion of a course, but 

 those who carried on research might 

 receive the doctor's degree; no hon- 

 orary degrees have ever been awarded; 

 there were no required religious exer- 



