Guide to the Richard C. Jeffrey Papers, 1934-2002 ASP.2003.02
Arrangement
Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title
Richard C. Jeffrey Papers
Creator
Jeffrey, Richard C.
Collection Number
ASP.2003.02
Extent
16 Linear Feet(33 boxes)
Date
1934-2002
Abstract
Richard Jeffrey, an American philosopher, logician, and probability theorist, represents one of the most influential philosophers working in decision theory. He was also a major advocate of developing and securing the heritage of logical empiricism, himself championing 'radical probabilism', a view that denies objective probability and abandons attempts to analyze judgment into a rational and an empirical component. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.
Language
English
.
Author
Brigitta Arden.
Publisher
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Address
University of Pittsburgh Library System Archives & Special Collections Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of this collection are available online.
Biography
Richard Jeffrey is considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of decision-making in the 20th century. His work is unified by his development of Bayesianism, the view that making up one's mind is a matter of adopting judgmental probabilities. Likewise, he advocated radical probabilism by denying objective probability and abandoning attempts to analyze judgment into a rational and an empirical component.
Jeffrey was born in 1926 in Boston, Massachusetts. He earned his M.A. in Philosophy at the University of Chicago in 1952 and his Ph.D. at Princeton University in 1957. After holding academic positions at City College of New York, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania, he joined the faculty of Princeton University in 1974 and became a professor emeritus there in 1999. He was also a visiting professor at the University of California, Irvine.
His philosophical career is closely connected to the story of 20th century philosophy, and most of his teachers had participated in the development of Logical Positivism in Vienna and Berlin in the twenties and early thirties. He collaborated with Rudolf Carnap at Chicago, with Kurt Gödel at the Institute for Advanced Study, and with Carl Gustav Hempel at Princeton.
Among his many publications are such works as The Logic of Decision (McGraw Hill 1965), a collection of essays entitled Probability and the Art of Judgment (Cambridge 1992), and also two textbooks entitled Formal Logic: Its Scope and Limits (McGraw Hill, first edition 1967) and Computability and Logic, with G. Boolos (first published in 1974).
Richard Jeffrey passed away on November 9, 2002.
Scope and Content Notes
The Jeffrey Papers include biographical material, correspondence, research and lecture notes, teaching documents, and drafts of published and unpublished writings by Jeffrey and others. Series I comprises biographical information. Included in the correspondence series (Series II) are extensive exchanges with Jeffrey's close colleagues, teachers, friends, and collaborators such as Rudolf Carnap, Carl Gustav Hempel, and Brian Skyrms. Materials in the research series (Series III) range from sketchy outlines, typescripts and documents reflecting Jeffrey's collaborations with Carnap, to numerous grant proposals and projects that are indicative of Jeffrey's research interests at the time. Series IV focuses on Jeffrey's writings and publications including manuscript drafts, lecture notes, and his editorial work, which centers mainly on the publication of Hempel's Selected Philosophical Essays. Series V covers material from Jeffrey's teaching activities, such as syllabi, teaching notes, reading lists, and exams. Series VI contains writings by others in form of unpublished drafts or annotated published pieces.
Arrangement
Below is an overview of the general series structure. Detailed scope and content notes are available at the series and subseries level:
Series I. Biographical Material
Series II. Correspondence
Series III. Research
Series IV. Writings, Lectures, and Publications
Series V. Teaching
Series VI. Writings by Others
Please note that typescripts that were originally enclosed with correspondence usually stayed with the correspondence. Published articles were removed and, if annotated, filed under the author's last name in the series "Writings by Others." We therefore advise users to look under the author's name in both the correspondence and the writings series when trying to locate an article.
Access Restrictions
Access to the collection is open for research with the following exceptions: Letters of recommendation and some individual files in the general correspondence series are closed. Access to material in the teaching series and to some files in the correspondence series is restricted; requests are subject to individual review by curator. Please contact the Archives of Scientific Philosophy for additional information.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Edith Jeffrey on August 6, 2003.
Previous Citation
Richard C. Jeffrey Papers, 1934-2002, ASP.2003.02, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh.
Preferred Citation
Richard C. Jeffrey Papers, 1934-2002, ASP.2003.02, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Brigitta Arden in July 2006.
Copyright
Property rights reside with the University of Pittsburgh. For information about permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Archives of Scientific Philosophy.
Related Material
Rudolf Carnap Papers, 1899-1970, ASP.1974.01, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Carl Gustav Hempel Papers, 1903-1997, ASP.1999.01, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Bruno de Finetti Papers, 1924-2000, ASP.1992.01, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Subjects
Corporate Names
Princeton University -- Faculty
Personal Names
De Finetti, Bruno
Jeffrey, Richard C.
Skyrms, Brian
Hempel, Carl G. (Carl Gustav)
Carnap, Rudolf
Genres
Personal correspondence
Offprints
Manuscripts for publication
Lecture notes
Other Subjects
Probabilities
Judgment
Bayesian statistical decision theory
Logic
Logical positivism
Logic, Symbolic and mathematical
Statistical decision
Decision-making
Induction (Logic)
Science -- Statistical methods
Mathematical statistics
Empiricism
Philosophy
Causality (Physics)
Container List
Scope and Contents note
This series contains Jeffrey's correspondence with individuals and institutions. The files of this series are arranged alphabetically according to the names of individuals, institutions, events, or subject matters. This arrangement is an expansion of Jeffrey's existing filing system; new files were added and existing files at times expanded when related and previously unorganized documents were found.
This series is divided into three subseries. The first subseries comprises Jeffrey's general research notes. The second subseries focuses on Jeffrey's collaboration with Carnap, largely in the form of correspondence and exchanges of drafts. The third subseries contains Jeffrey's grant applications, awards, and summary reports on concluded projects.
Scope and Contents note
Jeffrey's research material consists mostly of handwritten and typed documents recording his reflections on subjective probability, decision theory, Bayesianism and related topics, including comments about the works of others. Also featured is a notebook on the Richard Lewontin Lectures that Jeffrey attended while in Harvard in the Fall of 1984.
The files are arranged in chronological order starting with the earliest; undated material is placed at the end of the series in alphabetical order according to folder title.
Carnap and Jeffrey had been close friends and collaborators since Jeffrey studied and received his Master's Degree under Carnap at the University of Chicago. The documents in this subseries reflect this close personal and professional relationship, mainly in form of correspondence with Carnap and his wife Ina, as well as exchanges of drafts and research notes. Carnap often included Jeffrey in his exchanges with other individuals, therefore numerous letters are carbon copies of Carnap's correspondence with others. Also featured are writings on Carnap authored by Jeffrey and others.
The folders are arranged in chronological order, followed by undated material.
This series contains Jeffrey's grant applications, project reports, and related correspondence and paperwork. Included is a project proposal by Hempel and a grant evaluation by Jeffrey of a proposal by Max Black.
Containers
box 10, folder 4
Containers
box 10, folder 05-06
Containers
box 10, folder 7
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box 10, folder 8
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box 10, folder 9
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box 10, folder 10
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box 10, folder 11
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box 10, folder 12
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box 10, folder 13
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box 10, folder 14
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box 10, folder 15
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box 10, folder 16
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box 10, folder 17-18
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box 11, folder 1
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box 11, folder 2
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box 11, folder 3
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box 11, folder 4
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box 11, folder 5
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box 11, folder 6
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box 11, folder 7
Containers
box 11, folder 08-09
Scope and Contents note
This series is divided into three subseries consisting of manuscript drafts, lecture notes and conferences, and editorial work. The manuscript drafts feature Jeffrey's writings at various stages of their development, ranging from early outlines to pre-publication galley proofs. The second subseries mainly comprises lecture notes and transparencies used in presentations. The third subseries holds material produced during Jeffrey's editorial role in publishing Hempel's Selected Philosophical Essays.
Scope and Contents note
This subseries features Jeffrey's manuscripts, which often include communications and comments by others since Jeffrey often shared his writings to seek critical review and feedback.
The folders are arranged chronologically, followed by undated material, which is arranged alphabetically according to title.
The majority of the material consists of Jeffrey's lecture notes and transparencies. Some folders also contain material relating to his conference preparations and attendance such as correspondence, programs, abstracts, and travel arrangements.
The folders are arranged chronologically, followed by undated material, which is arranged alphabetically according to lecture title or conference name.
Containers
box 20, folder 16
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box 20, folder 17
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box 20, folder 18
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box 20, folder 19
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box 20, folder 20
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box 20, folder 21
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box 20, folder 22
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box 20, folder 23
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box 20, folder 24
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box 20, folder 25
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box 21, folder 1
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box 21, folder 2
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box 21, folder 3
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box 21, folder 4
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box 21, folder 5
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box 21, folder 6
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box 21, folder 7
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box 21, folder 8
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box 21, folder 9
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box 21, folder 10
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box 21, folder 11
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box 21, folder 12
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box 21, folder 13
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box 21, folder 14
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box 21, folder 15
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box 21, folder 16
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box 21, folder 17
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box 21, folder 18
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box 21, folder 19
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box 21, folder 20
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box 21, folder 21
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box 21, folder 22
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box 21, folder 23
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box 21, folder 24
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box 21, folder 25
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box 22, folder 1
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box 22, folder 2
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box 22, folder 3
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box 22, folder 4
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box 22, folder 5
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box 22, folder 6
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box 22, folder 7
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box 22, folder 8
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box 22, folder 9
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box 22, folder 10
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box 22, folder 11
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box 22, folder 12
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box 22, folder 13
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box 22, folder 14
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box 22, folder 15
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box 22, folder 16
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box 22, folder 17
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box 22, folder 18
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box 22, folder 19
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box 22, folder 20
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box 22, folder 21
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box 22, folder 22
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box 22, folder 23
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box 22, folder 24
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box 22, folder 25
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box 22, folder 26
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box 22, folder 27
Containers
box 22, folder 28
Scope and Contents note
Jeffrey functioned as the editor of Hempel's Selected Philosophical Essays. Gathered here are documents produced during this process, mostly in form of different production stages of the publication and copies of Hempel's essays considered for publication.
This subseries is divided into three sections. Sections 1 and 2 group material according to the format of the publication: Preprint Versions and Galley Proofs. The third section comprises the remaining material related to the editorial process.
Section: Preprint Versions
Containers
box 23, folder 1
Containers
box 23, folder 2
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box 23, folder 3
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box 23, folder 4
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box 23, folder 5
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box 23, folder 6
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box 23, folder 7
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box 23, folder 8
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box 24, folder 1
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box 24, folder 2
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box 24, folder 3
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box 24, folder 4
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box 24, folder 5
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box 24, folder 6
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box 24, folder 7
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box 25, folder 1
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box 25, folder 2
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box 25, folder 3
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box 25, folder 4
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box 25, folder 5
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box 25, folder 6
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box 25, folder 7
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box 25, folder 8
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box 25, folder 9
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box 25, folder 10
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box 25, folder 11
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box 25, folder 12
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box 25, folder 13
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box 25, folder 14
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box 26, folder 1
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box 26, folder 2
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box 26, folder 3
Containers
box 26, folder 04-08
Scope and Contents note
The majority of documents consist of sylllabi, reading lists, exams, and some correspondence. Included are also transcriptions of Jeffrey's 1985 Stanford Lectures by M. Hendrickson. If present, folders are grouped according to their class number with an overall chronological arrangement, starting with the earliest.
Containers
box 27, folder 1
Containers
box 27, folder 02-03
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box 27, folder 4
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box 27, folder 5
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box 27, folder 6
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box 27, folder 7-10
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box 27, folder 11
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box 27, folder 12
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box 27, folder 13
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box 27, folder 14
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box 27, folder 15-16
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box 27, folder 17-19
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box 28, folder 1
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box 28, folder 2
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box 28, folder 3
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box 28, folder 04-05
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box 28, folder 6
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box 28, folder 7
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box 28, folder 8
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box 28, folder 9
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box 28, folder 10
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box 28, folder 11
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box 28, folder 12
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box 28, folder 13
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box 29, folder 01-10
Containers
box 29a, cassette unknown container
Scope and Contents note
Documents comprised in this series are unpublished manuscript drafts or annotated published writings by authors other than Jeffrey, many of whom were friends or collaborators, such as Brian Skyrms and Bruno de Finetti. In addition to annotations, a few pieces include more extensive written comments by Jeffrey.
The folders are arranged alphabetically, according to the author's last name.