ThomasJeffersonhadaradicaldreamforhighereducation.Designedtobecomethefirstmodernpublicuniversity,theUniversityofVirginiawasenvisionedasaliberalcampuswithnoreligiousaffiliation,withelectivecoursesandstudentself-government.Nearlytwocenturiesaftertheuniversity’screation,itssuccessnowseemspreordained--itsfounder,afterall,wasagreatAmericangenius.Yetwhatmanydon’tknowisthatJefferson’suniversityalmostfailed.InRot,Riot,andRebellion,award-winningjournalistsRexBowmanandCarlosSantosofferadramaticre-creationoftheuniversity’searlystruggles.Politicalenemies,powerfulreligiousleaders,andfundamentalistChristiansfoughtJeffersonandworkedtothwarthisdream.Richstudents,manyfromsouthernplantations,heldasenseofhonorandentitlementthatcompelledthemtoresistevenminorrulesandregulations.Theyfoughtprofessors,townsfolk,andeachotherwithguns,knives,andfists.Inresponse,professorsarmedthemselves--oftenwithgoodreason:onewashorsewhipped,otherswereattackedintheirclassrooms,andonewastwicethetargetofabomb.Theuniversitywasoftenbroke,andJefferson’senemies,crouchedandreadytopounce,lookedconstantlyforreasonstocloseitsdoors.Yetfromitstumultuous,earlydays,Jefferson’suniversity--acauldronofunrestandeducationaldaring--blossomedintothefirstrealAmericanuniversity.Here,BowmanandSantosbringusintothelifeoftheUniversityofVirginiaatitsfoundingtorevealhowthisonceshakyinstitutiongrewintoanovel,American-styleuniversityonwhichmyriadotherU.S.universitiesweremodeled.
RIOT AMERICAN AWARD GOVERNMENT
