Sitting in the Courtyard

On the east side of the Francis Quadrangle is a small sitting area just of the main path. This seat is taken though. Here sits the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson. The university has several historical ties to President Jefferson. When MU was established in 1839, it was based on Jefferson's philosophy of a state-supported University. The architecture was also very similar to the University of Virginia of which Jefferson was the architect and founder. MU was also the first university that was founded in the Louisiana Purchase; one of Jefferson's greatest achievement as president. In 1885, MU received Jefferson's original tombstone which sits next to the sculpture. The sculputre depicts Jefferson as he sat down to write the Declaration of Independence.