George Washington has $300,000.00 in late fees…that’s a lot of Washington's

Last week, George Washington was in the news when it came to the attention of the New York Society Library that he had two outstanding library books.  The library loaned the two books to Washington when he was in New York serving as President (New York was the initial national capital). Washington wasn’t the only political luminary to visit the library, as Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and John Hay also show up on the library’s ledger as patrons. This same ledger lists the person who took out the “Law of Nations” (a treatise on international law) and Vol. 12 of “Commons Debates” (which contained transcripts of debates in the House of Commons) as simply the “President.”  The books were due back November 2, 1789, and needless to say, they never made it. The library is hoping to get the books back for its collections, but I doubt that will happen. What do you think happened to those books?

           In other George Washington library related news, there has also been recent mention of a movement to establish a George Washington Presidential Library. In an op-ed in the Washington Post, Kathleen Parker discussed this possibility. She is a member of the group trying to make it happen, and says that the group still needs to raise $20 million to start construction.  I’m all for it, especially because it would allow scholars a place to study Washington’s contributions in a concentrated way, and possibly foster greater intellectual connections. Also, on a more common sense note, if Rutherford B. Hayes gets a presidential library, shouldn’t the founder of our country?

[Image via geniocity]