Rep. Jefferson Monroe (Michael) Levy

LEVY, Jefferson Monroe, a Representative from New York; born in New York City April 16, 1852; attended public and private schools; was graduated from the New York University Law School in 1873; was admitted to the bar and practiced in New York City; from his uncle, Commodore Uriah P. Levy, he inherited “Monticello” (formerly the estate of Thomas Jefferson); elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-sixth Congress (March 4, 1899-March 3, 1901); was not a candidate for renomination in 1900; resumed the practice of law in New York City; elected to the Sixty-second and Sixty-third Congresses (March 4, 1911-March 3, 1915); was not a candidate for renomination in 1914; resumed the practice of his profession in New York City and died there March 6, 1924; interment in Cypress Hills Cemetery.

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In 1879 at the age of 27, he took control of Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. His late uncle Uriah P. Levy had purchased the property in 1834, several years after Jefferson's death. Like his uncle, Levy spent a considerable part of his fortune in having Monticello and its grounds restored and preserved. In 1923, the property was purchased by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (then known as the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation), a privately established group formed to purchase and operate Monticello as a memorial. It has since operated the site and mansion as a house museum. The Levy family privately protected the National Historic Landmark for nearly a century because of their regard for Thomas Jefferson and on behalf of the American people.