There are those who think that laws should be written and enacted by lawyers; and there are those who think there are too many lawyers in the legislature! Thomas Jefferson, writing to future U. S. president James Madison on July 26, 1780, clearly belonged in the former camp. Jefferson attended William & Mary from 1760 until 1762, when he began studying law under George Wythe. In fact, 2012 marks the 250th anniversary of the completion of Jefferson's formal education at W&M. We don't know how long Jefferson was in Wythe’s office, but he began practicing in 1767. Later on, while Virginia governor during the American Revolution, he also served as a member of the William & Mary Board of Visitors. In this capacity Jefferson was instrumental in reforming the curriculum in 1779, adding a Professorship of Law and Police, which was first occupied by George Wythe. It is Wythe’s classes and moot court that Jefferson praised on page three of his copy of the letter, which is held in the Special Collections Research Center.
“Our new institution at the college has had a success which has gained it universal applause. Wythe’s school is numerous. They hold weekly courts & assemblies in the capitol. The professors join in it; and the young men dispute with elegance, method & learning. This single school by throwing from time to time new hands well principled & well informed into the legislature will be of infinite value.”
Swem Library has approximately 700 Jefferson items (documents by and to Jefferson), which were scanned as part of the Jefferson Project funded by the Papers of Thomas Jefferson and the Delmas Foundation. All are available in the W&M Digital Archive.
---Susan Riggs, Special Collections Research Center
