June 10, 1998								
Contact: Tom Dowd
(804) 982-5252

JULY 4th TIP: Both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on July 4, 1826,
only a few hours apart and 50 years to the day after the signing of the
Declaration of Independence.  One-time friends and collaborators,
Jefferson and Adams had become political enemies, but reconciled late in
life. 

Media notice: Although the Jefferson Symposium sessions are not open to
the public, reporters are welcome to attend.  A schedule is attached.
To verify session locales, contact the above number.

EXPERTS TO PROBE LEGACY OF THOMAS JEFFERSON'S RELATIONSHIP WITH JOHN
ADAMS JUNE 17-20 AT U.VA.

	Authors and historians will examine important relationships in
Thomas Jefferson's political and private life during a June 17-20
symposium at the University of Virginia.
	About 50 participants from the United States and Canada will
attend the 1998 Jefferson Symposium, "Thomas Jefferson and the Adams
Family," at U.Va. Session topics include "The Jefferson Image in the
Adams Mind," "The Jefferson-Adams Legacy" and "Slavery--What's a Patriot
to Do?"
	Among the noted experts leading discussions addressing the
complicated relationships Jefferson had with John and Abigail Adams and
their extended family are: Jeremy Black, history professor at the
University of Exeter (UK) who is a prolific author and specialist in
18th century British politics; Joseph Ellis, the Ford Foundation
Professor of History at Mount Holyoke College who is a 1997 National
Book Award winner and biographer of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson;
Celeste Walker, associate editor of the Adams Papers at the
Massachusetts Historical Society; and Peter Onuf, the Thomas Jefferson
Memorial Foundation Professor of History at U.Va. 
	"For half a century, first as political allies and later as
political foes, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams struggled to define the
lasting meaning of the American Revolution.  The two
philosopher-statesmen carried on a remarkable dialogue of ideas that
took them from friendship to antagonism and, ultimately, to
reconciliation.  The symposium will examine the development, 
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impact and legacy of this relationship," said Tom Dowd, senior director
of program development in the U.Va. Continuing Education's Center for
University Programs.  
	The 1998 Jefferson Symposium is sponsored by U.Va. Continuing
Education's Center for University Programs.
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Television reporters should contact the TV News Office at (804)
924-7550.