December 2 Friday – The National Institute of Arts and Letters, founded in 1898, cast ballots and elected seven members to the first American Academy of Arts and Letters. These were, representing literature: Samuel L. Clemens, William Dean Howells, Edmund Clarence Stedman, and John Hay; representing art: Augustus Saint-Gaudens and John La Farge; representing music, Edward MacDowell. The secretary of the Institute was none other than Robert Underwood Johnson. The Academy was inspired by the famed French Academy and was to be comprised of 50 chosen from the Institute’s membership, creating a two-tier system. The original seven were to select eight more, who then would choose five, etc., until the full 50 were elected. See Sam’s Dec. 10 thank you to Johnson.

Mrs. H.H. Rogers gave Sam a birthday dinner. Sam saw few people this winter, save for Rogers, Andrew Carnegie, and a few old friends. He spent a good part of each day playing cards with Isabel Lyon and listening to her play the Orchestrelle he had purchased, and writing [MTHHR 574].