Thomas Jefferson

I knew Thomas Jefferson was brilliant, it is just that I didn't know HOW brilliant he was. This is one of my favorite quotes: When President John F. Kennedy welcomed 49 Nobel Prize winners to the White House in 1962 he said, "I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent and of human knowledge that has ever been gathered together at the White House – with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone." What I didn't know was that Thomas Jefferson is the founder of the University of Virginia, AND...is widely recognized for his architectural planning of the University grounds. He was also the architect for the Rotunda, and what he called the "Academical Village" where individual academic units are expressed visually as distinct structures, represented by Pavilions, facing a grassy quadrangle, with each Pavilion housing classroom, faculty office, and homes. A lot of words, maybe, but just look at the beauty of these buildings on either side of the grassy quadrangle. I was just stunned to come into this area and see all these columns receeding into the distance. And I won't even begin to describe the building they call the Rotunda! One could see all this beauty, and walk around here feeling stupid!