ep • o • nym

A real or mythical person from whose name the name of a nation, institution, etc. is derived

name • sake

[earlier name's sake] a person with the same name as another, esp. if named after the other

Mont • pel • ier

1. name of James Madison's home in Orange County, VA.
2. name of the James Madison University magazine

An eponym, strictly speaking, is a real or mythical person from whose name the name of a nation, institution, theory, movement or other entity is derived. Applied loosely, eponym is the opposite of namesake, so that JMU considers its magazine the namesake of James Madison's estate.

More to the point, however, is that James Madison University is the proud namesake of James Madison. And by naming its magazine Montpelier, JMU honors its own eponym, James Madison, for creating the governmental structure that has made the United States the world's most pre-eminent and successful republic, and for his roles as a Founding Father of the United States, its fourth president, former secretary of state, Father of the U.S. Constitution, congressional representative, Virginia legislator, political theorist, philosopher and statesman.

For more information about James Madison and Montpelier please follow these links:

• The Official Website of Montpelier, the home of James Madison
• James Madison, His Legacy
• JMU-Montpelier Archeology Field School
• Common Ground, JMU - Montpelier Connections
• The White House - James Madison