LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — With the United States of America's 250th birthday just around the corner, there is a display at the J. David Rosenburg College of Law's library on the University of Kentucky's that is not to be missed.
The library features what is believed to be the only complete collection of presidential and vice presidential autographs outside the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
Matthew Correia, a UK alum and historical collector, assembled the collection over the course of eight years. Correia and his wife donated the collection to UK's campus to be on display until Sunday.
The collection includes the autograph of every president and vice president who has served the United States, including current Vice President JD Vance. Among the most requested signatures is that of George Washington.
One document in the collection is notable for its historical significance: it is the document that allowed Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve a fourth term, bearing the signatures of members of Congress.
Correia said his passion for history began at a young age, rooted in a book he returned to repeatedly at his grandparents' house. That early love of history grew into the collection now on display, he told LEX 18.
"Wisdom comes from experience, but we all have the same restriction of living one life. However when you look at all these autographs and all the people who signed, all the stories, by studying it and becoming aware of it, you can live one thousand lifetimes in one. The true value is what it can teach and how it can improve our community by learning lessons of the past," Correia said.
Correia also spoke with members of the White House Historical Association, an organization founded by Jacqueline Kennedy to preserve presidential history. The association confirmed this is the only complete collection of presidential and vice presidential autographs outside of the National Archives.
After Sunday, the collection will be moved back to the Northeast, where it will continue to be shown to the public.
