From the moment Governor Thomas Jefferson handpicked a young soldier named James Monroe to serve as an aide during the Revolutionary War, a vital friendship and political alliance was born. Both men served as governor of Virginia, minister to France, secretary of state, and president for two terms. Their lives overlapped even more clearly through shared friendships with individuals such as James Madison; shared interests, such as the creation of the University of Virginia; and shared missions, including the completion of the Louisiana Purchase.