2. Brian Alexander Publishes New Book

By Lily Caldwell
December 5, 2025

Brian Alexander, associate professor of politics at Washington and Lee University, recently published a new book, "Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice."

The book, from Arcadia Publishing, is the definitive edition of Thomas Jefferson's "A Manual of Parliamentary Practice," originally published in 1801 and serving as the basis for the rules of Congress ever since. Handwritten notes by Jefferson in personal copies of the 1801 manual, including a rare copy at the W&L library, became the basis of Jefferson's final version of the manual, with the second edition published in 1812.

Alexander's new edition features the full text of Jefferson's definitive word on the rules of Congress including Jefferson's additions and an introduction detailing the history of the text and the discovery of Jefferson's revisions.

Alexander's research began with uncovering Jefferson's handwritten notes in W&L's Special Collections and Archives, further leading him to libraries and historical sites across the country. Research in this book led the House of Representatives to update its "House Rules and Manual" in 2025. Previously, the House had used the first edition of Jefferson's manual from 1801. Based on Alexander's work, the second edition of Jefferson's manual from 1812 was incorporated into the "House Rules and Manual," for the 119th Congress.

A member of the W&L faculty since 2017, Alexander is an expert on congressional norms, parliamentary procedure and interest groups. He authored a book titled "A Social Theory of Congress: Legislative Norms in the Twenty-first Century " in 2021 and completed a fellowship at the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello for research on the manual. Alexander and Madison Williams '23 published a bibliographic inventory of copies of the original manual of 1801, identifying 70 of the approximately 100 published still in existence.

Alexander holds a bachelor's degree in cultural studies from Miami (Ohio) University, a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cincinnati and a Ph.D. in political science with concentrations in American government and international relations from George Mason University. He also annually directs W&L's Washington Term, an experiential learning program offered to students in Washington, D.C., during Spring Term.

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