Jefferson City, Missouri

Jefferson City is the capital of the State of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Jefferson City was named after the third president of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson City is on the northern edge of the Ozarks on the Missouri River near the geographic center of the state, and is dominated by a domed Capitol, rising from a bluff overlooking the Missouri River.

President Thomas Jefferson, dreamed of a voyage up the Missouri River and on to the Pacific Ocean. The dream became reality with the completion of the great Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and President Jefferson commissioning the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804-1806. Although Thomas Jefferson never set foot on Missouri soil, the citizens of Jefferson City and the people of Missouri revere his name and his vision, in much the same way as residents of Monticello, Charlottesville, and all of Virginia. In 1822 the State of Missouri honored Thomas Jefferson in his lifetime by naming our capital the "City of Jefferson" and locating it on the limestone bluffs above the Missouri River. The Louisiana Purchase, the great westward expansion, and the legacy of the Corps of Discovery, all played a part in that decision.

The Lincoln Institute was established in 1866 for African Americans interested in continuing their education. Today, Lincoln University is one of the most diverse four year institutions in the state of Missouri. The University also serves an international student population from 27 countries around the globe, with the highest numbers from Jamaica, Ghana and Tanzania.