June 27 Wednesday – The Clemens family probably left New York for Elmira this day. Yale University conferred an honorary Master of Arts degree upon Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Sam could not go to New Haven for the dinner and ceremony.

The New York Times, June 28, 1888, editorial article 7, p.4 ran notice of Sam’s honorary degree, among others.

Several noteworthy honorary degrees were conferred at yesterday’s Commencements…. Yale’s honorary A.M.’s are headed by Mark Twain. He is certainly a master of a good many arts, as his business and humoristic successes show. Mark Twain, A.M., has a queer sound, but the owner of the title can be relied upon to work it up, after due reflection, into new material for humor.