National Institute of Arts and Letters (U.S.)

The constitution for the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and a list of deceased members. The National Institute of Arts and Letters was founded by the American Social Science Association and is limited to 200 members. A subgroup of this Institute is the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and the members of this group are elected from the larger Institute and include no more than 30 people.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1905

Creator(s)

American Social Science Association

President Roosevelt owes dues to the National Institute of Art and Letters for the years 1899, 1900, and 1901.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-02

Creator(s)

Perkins, James Breck, 1847-1910

William Loeb sends President Roosevelt’s 1908 dues to the National Institute of Arts and letters to Hamilton Wright Mabie. He informs Mabie that Roosevelt intends to give up membership in many organizations after he leaves the presidency, and resigns from the institute.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1908-11-14

Creator(s)

Loeb, William, 1866-1937

Brief article about the relationship between Theodore Roosevelt and the photographer Edward S. Curtis that acts as a preface to an announcement about an exhibit in Sea Cliff, New York, featuring Curtis’s photographs of Native Americans. The article discusses Roosevelt’s support of the arts and letters and explains his assistance to Curtis in publishing his magisterial The North American Indian.

One of the photographs from the exhibit accompanies the article.

An advertisement for the Roosevelt Savings Bank listing its various branch offices is found at the bottom of the article page.

John A. Gable asserts that Theodore Roosevelt must be understood not just as a man of action, but as an accomplished thinker, intellectual, and writer. He cites as proof the many publications Roosevelt produced, from letters to works of history and natural science. Gable stresses Roosevelt’s work in the field of history and believes that his knowledge of history contributed to his success as President. He notes the literary organizations that Roosevelt belonged to and his friendship with many of the leading intellectuals of his time.

Collection

Theodore Roosevelt Association Journal

Creation Date

1975

Creator(s)

Gable, John A.

Responding to an inquiry about President Roosevelt’s membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters, Brander Matthews writes that he does not have any information about the president’s membership, but he hopes that he continues it. The National Institute includes many of the leading artists, composers, and writers in the nation, according to Matthews. Included in the membership are William Dean Howells, Edmund Clarence Stedman, George Washington Cable, Richard Watson Gilder, and Hamlin Garland. The group holds two or three meetings a year.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-26

Creator(s)

Matthews, Brander, 1852-1929

Dues for President Roosevelt’s membership in the National Institute of Arts and Letters are now payable.

Collection

Library of Congress Manuscript Division

Creation Date

1902-04-02

Creator(s)

Perkins, James Breck, 1847-1910