The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-11-18
Elevated to Ranks
of Immortal Fifty"

Ol 1IuluOTGdl ClLy
New York, Nov. 17.-The flower of
Americas men of art and letters
gathered here tonight for a two day
celebration of the American Acad-
emy Of Arts and Letters, during which
three more illustrious figures will be
elevated to the ranks of the "Immor-
tai Fifty"
The three to be selected will take
the seats left vacant by John Bur
roughs, Abbott Henderson Thayer
and Barrett Wendell, who have died
since the last annual meeting of the
Academy.
The selections will be made to-
morrow by the remaining Al members
of the academy, from list of nomi-
nees picked because of their eminence
in poetry and the draa, fivtion and his
tory, painting and sculpture, architec-
ture and music, from the $50 men,
bers of the National Institute Of Arts
| and Letters.
On Saturday, Marshal Foch will rel
egate to the background for the only
time during his stay in America the
role Of soldier, and will appear in the
robes of the French Academician to
| lay the cornerstone of the American
Academy's new home. Distinguished
authors, artists and statesmen of two
hemispheres are expected to attend
this ceremony.
Professor Brander Matthews of Co.
lumbia University, Chancellor Of the
American Academy, has told of the
Academy's beginnings with Howells,
Twain, Stedman and others as a nu-
cleus.
"About 20 years aSH' said Profess
sor Mattisws, "the scSIal Science AS
sociation' Increased it's numbers and
then designated 100 of its members
poets and prose writer's, painters and
| sculptors, architects and composers
to found National Institute of Arts
and Letters. Slowly this institute en-
| larged it's membership to $50; and
| then it chose some of it's members,
Howells, Stedman, Mark Twain and
John Hay, LaFarge and St. Gaudens,
| and Edward Mcdowell, and laid upon
| them the duty of establishing an
American Academy of Arts and Let
ters to consist of SO of the leaders
| in poetry and the drama, fiction and
history, painting and sculpture, archi-
lecture and music.
"When this Academy was thus or
| ganized it elected Howells as it's pres
ident and then William Milligan
Sloane as it's chancellor. After the
death of Howells last year he was sue
Sloane. No one is eligible to the
ceeded in the presidency by Mr..
Sloane. No one is eligible to the
| Academy who is not a member of the
Institute No member of either the
institute or the Academy had voted
for himself; they have all been elected
by ch4;- fellow craftsmen in the sew
| eral arts.
"The purpose of the Academy is to
bring together the leaders in the al
| lied arts, to enable them to know one
another more intimately, and to en-
courage them to take such action for
the advancement of their several arts
as may seem to them wise. To this
end both the Institute and the Acad-
emy have received national charters
from the Congress of the United
i States. Election to the Institute is
an encouragement to the younger ar
lists and men of letters; and election
to the Academy is an ampler recogni-
ton for the more mature men whose
early promise has been followed by
performance. The Institute awards
its gold medal every yeG- tc leader
in one of the arts; and the Academy
has also its medal, which has as yet
been awarded only once"