One of the Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s longest-standing traditions is members writing letters of acceptance upon election to membership. Since 1781, the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ has received communications in a variety of formats. From quill pens to emojis, the letters have evolved through the years and provide perspectives as wide as our membership.
The Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ Archives preserves member letters and lines the walls of the Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s headquarters in Cambridge with them, some of which are now available online:
- Selections from the Â鶹´«Ã½Íøվ’s early years include letters from George Washington (1781), Alexander Hamilton (1791), and Maria Mitchell (1848).
- For Women’s History Month, the Â鶹´«Ã½ÍøÕ¾ offers letters from women, including Willa Cather (1943), Marian Anderson (1954), and Mary Leakey (1979).
- A gallery of letters from members elected between 2009 and 2019 includes contributions from Nelson Mandela (2009), Nicholas Kristof (2017), and Jane Hirshfield (2019).
- Members elected in 2022 and 2023 were inducted at a joint ceremony, due to COVID, and a selection of letters from those classes are in this gallery. Read the words of Daniel Bell, Glenn Close, Marian Croak, John E. Echohawk, Rhiannon Giddens, Tshilidzi Marwala, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others.
- A selection of letters from members elected and inducted in 2024, including the first time the honor was accepted by bioluminescent bacteria.
