Of course you know that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were both Virginians, and they were great friends. Madison asked Jefferson to send him some books as he was studying how to plan for a new government. Jefferson sent him two trunks of “literary cargo” from France where Jefferson was the Minister.

Jefferson helped and gave Madison several ideas on some re-modeling of Madison’s home at Montpelier, including some architectural tricks for his parlor. Jefferson designed and modeled a room at Monticello for James and Dolley to stay in when they visited, which they often did. Dolley served at hostess for Jefferson at many State Functions because Jefferson was a widower in the White House.

In their retirement Madison and Jefferson worked together to plan and build the University of Virginia at Charlottesville which opened in 1825, the year before Jefferson’s death. Madison was a member of the “Board of Visitors” which supervised the University and named Jefferson as its first President or “Rector”. The first meeting of this Board was held at Madison’s home at Montpelier. Together Madison and Jefferson picked the first faculty. Madison agreed unselfishly to be named the second Rector succeeding Jefferson.

As Jefferson and John Adams carried on long years of correspondence, so did Jefferson and James Madison. Just a few weeks before his death, Jefferson wrote a letter to Madison in which he said: “. . .the friendship which has subsisted between us, now half a century” had been a source of “constant hapiness [sic] to me . . . and be assured that I shall leave you with my last affection.”

James Madison wrote back: “You cannot look back to the long period of our private friendship and public harmony, with more affecting recollections than I do . . . . I offer you the fullest return of affectionate assurances.” This was the last letter between the two great friends. But their friendship was envied by their contemporaries, and indeed would be admired by the next generations of Americans.