Researchers discovered this month 74 volumes from Thomas Jefferson's personal collection have been housed unknowingly at Washington University in St. Louis library for the past 131 years.
Jefferson catalogued 1,600 works from his private library to be given to the University upon his death, but because of the massive debt he accumulated during his lifetime, many of the books had to be sold to satisfy creditors. The current location of many of these auctioned volumes is still unknown.
Ann Lucas Birle, research historian at Monticello, and Endrina Tay, associate foundation librarian at the Jefferson Library, collaborated with Anne Posega, head of special collections at Washington University, to find these missing volumes.
Birle said Jefferson's grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, auctioned the books, but not before Jefferson's granddaughter, Ellen Wayles Coolidge, acquired specific works she wanted to inherit. Her son-in-law Edmund Dwight then gave his in-laws' entire literary collection to the newly founded Washington University in 1880.
The donation contained more than 3,000 volumes, and "at the time, there was no connection to Jefferson," Posega said.
No one suspected Coolidge's gift contained inherited Jefferson belongings until Birle stumbled upon "a reference to that gift," she said.
Birle and Tay contacted Posega with the catalogue from the auction list and were able to name the titles they were looking for as well as describe the mark indicating the books previously belonged to Jefferson. Posega said Jefferson's mark is very subtle and can be recognized only by those who know what to look for.
Among the newly rediscovered volumes are the books Jefferson referenced while designing the Lawn and the book Jefferson had by his deathbed: Aristotle's "Politica."\nBirle said these discoveries will "give us a greater insight into how Jefferson intended to design his academical village." She also highlighted the relationship between Jefferson and his granddaughter Coolidge, saying "Jefferson was her intellectual companion. She lived at Monticello and was taught by Jefferson."
Birle said the relationship indicates that the books in Coolidge's possession were volumes "Jefferson would have thought were critical to a young person's education."\nWashington University in St. Louis has legal rights to the volumes, but Birle said she strongly suspects the books may return here on loan and be readily available for use by scholars. Both Birle and Posega said they do not believe the two universities will have trouble cooperating.
"It is really wonderful to have them in Missouri because of Jefferson's key role in the Louisiana Purchase," Posega said. "Jefferson has always been a very key figure in this region as well, and I believe we will be able to build some great partnerships"
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