Schools

Long Lost Books Belonging to Thomas Jefferson Found at Washington University

74 of Thomas Jefferson's books identified at Washington University library.

Dozens of books that were part of Thomas Jefferson's personal collection have been found in the libraries at Washington University, according to a university press release.

Monticello scholars made the discovery. The 74 books have been part of the university’s rare books collection for 131 years. They were not identified by the books’ donor in 1880 as a part of Jefferson’s personal library.

The scholars identified several notable books among the 28 titles and 74 volumes, including:

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  • Aristotle’s Politica, which was likely one of the last books Jefferson read before his death on July 4, 1826.
  • Architecture books used by Jefferson to design the University of Virginia, which, like Monticello, is recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site.
  • A small scrap of paper with Greek notes in Jefferson’s hand tucked in a volume of Plutarch’s Lives.

According to Washington University, the discovery makes Wash U the third-largest holder of Jefferson’s books, after the Library of Congress and the University of Virginia.

The press release said  Jefferson Studies scholar Endrina Tay was able to confirm the Jefferson link  by identifying the presence of Jefferson’s distinctive handwritten ownership mark in these books.

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