Historical Highlight: Graham to Washington

Rev. William Graham’s Letter to George Washington, January 1796

[The following feature includes edited excerpts from a letter addressed, “The Trustees of Liberty Hall Academy, in Rockbridge county and State of Virginia, to his Excellency George Washington, President of the United States of America.” The letter was penned in January 1796 following a meeting of the trustees on January 5 to discuss President Washington’s interest in donating James River Company stock to a fledgling Virginian academy. The letter was signed by William Graham, the first rector of Liberty Hall Academy, and Samuel Houston, a trustee and father of the future Texas revolutionary. CLICK HERE to read the full text (see pages 479-482). Please contact SHP with any questions.]

Sir:—We have lately heard of your generous and disinterested conduct, in refusing as private emolument, the shares in the Potomack and James River Companies, presented to you by the Legislature of Virginia, as a testimony of their approbation and gratitude.

We have also heard of the wise and beneficent purposes to which you wished to have the profits arising from these shares applied,—the endowment of a Seminary on the waters of each these rivers for the education of youth, and that you referred the appropriation of the hundred shares in the James River Company to the wisdom of the Legislature of Virginia ; who after deliberating on the important subject, agreed that the whole should be applied to one Seminary up the country,—but some differences of opinion arising respecting the particular place to which it should be applied, referred the ultimate decision to your Excellency.

Supposing our information just, we are constrained by the duty we owe the public, as well as the Seminary we have long had the honour to patronise, to address you on this very interesting subject.

And here we cannot allow ourselves to think it proper to pray you to grant the donation for the support of education in this Seminary, as a matter of honour or emolument to ourselves, or emolument to the neighbourhood where it stands. This would be selfish and invidious and inconsistent with the feelings of that mind, which always overlooks private interest to embrace and secure the public good. We beg leave only to state a few facts for your Excellency's information, that you may be enabled to decide the important question with greater precision.

From a conviction of the necessity and utility of a public Seminary to complete the education of youth in this upper part of the State; as early as the year 1776, a Seminary before conducted in these parts under the form of a grammar school, received the nominal title of an Academy, and money was collected to purchase the beginnings of a library, and some of the most essential parts of a philosophical and mathematical apparatus.

[...] We therefore concluded that some spot in the tract of country now known as Rockbridge county, would be the proper place. We therefore organized the Seminary, and set it in motion, hoping that the public would one day aid our exertions and enable us to perfect what had been honestly begun. 

Through the calamities of a long and dangerous war, and the deceptions of a paper currency, together with other misfortunes, great obstructions were experienced, but being happy in able and diligent teachers, we were enabled to preserve the Academy in a state of considerable reputation and usefulness until the year 1782, when we were aided by an act of incorporation from the Legislature of Virginia, which was the first granted after the Revolution.

In 1793 we found it necessary to fix the spot where the building should finally stand, which was determined to be in that fine tract of country formerly known by the name of the Woods' Creek lands, in the Forks of James River, one mile from the navigation of the North Branch, and on an eminence about three-quarters of a mile from Lexington,—so that whilst it enjoys an extensive prospect of the circumjacent country, and a view of the town, it has agreeably to its great design, an undisturbed retirement for study.

There is one more fact which we would beg leave to state. In 1793, by voluntary contributions, and some sacrifices of private property, we were enabled to erect and finish plain but neat buildings, sufficiently capacious to accommodate between forty and fifty students, and the business of education is now in full train, and the Seminary in as high reputation as could be expected without funds. Many young gentlemen have finished their education here, who are now serving their country with reputation and usefulness, in different professional departments, and a number are now collected from different parts of the country for the same end.

[…] And as the public good is the only object which can influence your determination, it is unnecessary to add anything further, but fully confiding in your wisdom, we shall entirely acquiesce in your decision. 

That all possible happiness, present and future, may attend your person, and every public blessing your administration, is the desire and prayer of your Excellency's humble servants, the Trustees of Liberty Hall. By order and in behalf of the Board, 

William Graham, C. M. 
Samuel Houston, C. B. T.