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.