In 1825, the University of Virginia opened its doors to students. The university was planned by Thomas Jefferson, ex-president of the United States, who hoped it would attract serious students.* Instead, most of them turned out to be hell-raisers. One night, a group of students attacked their professors with canes and bricks.
The day after the riot, the Board of Visitors, which governed the university, had an emergency meeting with the students. Jefferson, as a member of the board, was the first to speak. But he was so overcome by grief that, after saying a few words, he could not go on, but burst into tears and sank back into his seat. The students were so moved that when Chapman Johnson, another Visitor, took over and asked the rioters to come forward and give their names, nearly all of them did so.
一八二五年，維吉尼亞大學開門授課。美國前總統湯瑪斯．傑佛遜是該大學設計者*，希望招得的學生勤奮用功，但事與願違，學生多數都愛鬧事。一天晚上，一群學生竟然用棍以及磚頭襲擊老師。
騷亂之後一天，維吉尼亞大學監管委員會與學生緊急會面。傑佛遜是委員會成員，首先發言，但才說了幾個字，就哀傷得說不下去，淚如泉湧，頹然坐下。另一監管委員查普曼．約翰生隨後發言，呼籲騷亂者站出來，自報姓名。那些學生深受傑佛遜感動，幾乎全部都聽話自首。
*傑佛遜一八零一至零九年擔任總統。