me, that the youth of the United States should be sent to foreign
countries for the purpose of education.... For this reason I have greatly
wished to see a plan adopted, by which the arts, sciences, and
belles-lettres could be taught in their _fullest_ extent, thereby embracing
_all_ the advantages of European tuition, with the means of acquiring the
liberal knowledge, which is necessary to qualify our citizens for the
exigencies of public as well as private life; and (which with me is a
consideration of great magnitude) by assembling the youth from the
different parts of this rising republic, contributing from their
intercourse and interchange of information to the removal of prejudices,
which might perhaps sometimes arise from local circumstances."


In framing his Farewell Address, "revolving ... on the various matters it
contained and on the first expression of the advice or recommendation
which was given in it, I have regretted that another subject (which in my
estimation is of interesting concern to the well-being of this country)
was not touched upon also; I mean education generally, as one of the
surest means of enlightening and giving just ways of thinking to our
citizens, but particularly the establishment of a university; where the
youth from all parts of the United States might receive the polish of
erudition in the arts, sciences and belles-lettres." Eventually he reduced
this idea to a plea for the people to "promote, then, as an object of
primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge,"
because "in proportion as the structure of a government gives force
to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be
enlightened." By his will he left to the endowment of a university in the
District of Columbia the shares in the Potomac Company which had been
given him by the State of Virginia, but the clause was never carried into
effect.