Alexander Von Humboldt Visits Thomas Jefferson

Clay S. Jenkinson

Library Company of Philadelphia, co-sponsored by American Philosophical Society and the Consortium for History of Sci, Tech & Med

Tuesday, June 7, 2022 6:30 pm EDT

Hybrid Lecture, Virtual and In-person
Franklin Hall at the American Philosophical Society
427 Chestnut Street | Philadelphia, PA

Join us as humanities scholar Clay S. Jenkinson discusses German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and his memorable 1805 visit with Thomas Jefferson. Humboldt took a long detour in his journey from Mexico to Europe to spend a few days with Jefferson, then serving his second term as President of the United States. The visit took place precisely at the time Lewis and Clark were exploring Montana and Idaho on the president’s behalf, and Humboldt’s encounters with Jefferson are revealing and delightful.
 
This lecture is free and open to the public. Book signing to follow.
 
RSVP by Tuesday, May 31, 2022
support.librarycompany.org/jcvh2022 | (215) 546-3181 ext. 136
 
Clay S. Jenkinson is a nationally recognized historian, author, and humanities scholar with a special interest in Thomas Jeffferson, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and Theodore Roosevelt, among other topics. He is the author of 14 books and a number of smaller publications. For his work in the public humanities, Jenkinson has won humanities scholar of the year awards in Kansas, Nevada, and North Dakota, as well as the coveted National Humanities Medal, then known as the Charles Frankel Prize.
 
Dr. John C. Van Horne served as the Edwin Wolf 2nd Director of the Library Company from 1985 to 2014. He was educated at Princeton University and holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Virginia. During his tenure, Dr. Van Horne expanded the Library Company’s Research Fellowship Program, oversaw the digitization of the library’s catalogs, and transformed the Cassatt House into a scholars' residence. He has published more than a dozen articles and has edited or co-edited numerous books, including several volumes of The Papers of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, an edition of the journals, correspondence, and drawings of the great early American architect and engineer published by Yale University Press. He now serves as Emeritus Director of the Library Company, is an elected member of the American Philosophical Society, and is long-standing a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine.