Hark Upon the Gaze

Before I was even a student at William and Mary, I learned the legend of the Thomas Jefferson statue that resides on the lawn between Washington and McGlothlin Street Halls.  The story goes like this: Thomas Jefferson, after attending the College of William and Mary and acquiring and harnessing his wisdom that would pave the path of his future, went on to found The University of Virginia.  Jefferson, who borrowed large sums of money from the college to start his university, went on to do things like running the country and what-not.  In 1992 The University of Virginia decided to pay back the College of William and Mary for its generous donation that began their institution, but instead of cold hard cash, we received a cold hard…statue—but wait!  The University of Virginia made it very clear that the gaze of TJ was meant to be looking off towards Charlottesville, Jefferson’s true home.  William and Mary had a different agenda.  The statue was placed rather to gaze in the direction of the Wren building because we believe that is where his true heart lies.

But is his gaze that innocent?  There’s a rumor going around that a couple of Physics students projected the gaze of TJ’s eyes to actually be looking into the third floor girl’s bathroom of Washington Hall…giving a whole new meaning to “Peeping Tom.”  Wherever the gaze truly looks, it is clear this is a campus icon!  Whether it is a special holiday or just any ‘ol weekend, students often wake to find TJ decked out in costumes ranging from a T-shirt with the Periodic Table of Elements to a costume of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz; he never ceases to surprise us!

– Megan Castle ’11