American Academy of Arts and Letters 1954 Awards Ceremony

This is a recording of the 1954 awards ceremony of the American Academy and the National Institute of Arts and Letters. The host, Archibald MacLeish, begins the ceremony with an address about the trial of art-making in America in terms of community, censorship and its complicated relationship to science.

Douglas Moore inducts newly elected Academy members: architect Arthur Brown Jr., poet E.E. Cummings, novelist John Hersey, composer Roger Sessions. Louis Kronenberger inducts new Institute members: artist George Grosz, poet Robert Lowell, architect Eero Saarinen, writer Elizabeth Bishop, composer Carl Ruggles.

Playwright Robert E. Sherwood delivers the Blashfield Address titled "Benjamin Franklin's Country." He discusses the life of Benjamin Franklin, particularly in France at the fall of the Bastille, and relates this to the diminished state of intellectualism in America.

President of the Institute, Marc Connelly presents the award winners with a few words about their work. Next, Léonie Adams presents the Russell Loines Award for poetry to David Jones and reads his acceptance speech. Mark Van Doren presents the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts to J. William Fulbright who delivers an acceptance speech. Archibald MacLeish presents The Award of Merit Medal to Ernest Hemingway who is absent. Isabelle Bishop presents the Gold Medal for Graphic Arts to Reginald Marsh who delivers an acceptance speech. Finally John Mason Brown presents the Gold Medal for Drama to Maxwell Anderson. Robert E. Sherwood reads Anderson's acceptance speech.

Blashfield Address Award:
Robert E. Sherwood

Russell Loines Award:
David Jones

Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts:
J. William Fulbright (Senator)

Gold Medal Awards:
Maxwell Anderson
Reginald Marsh

Award of Merit Medal:
Ernest Hemingway

Arts and Letters Awards:
Hannah Arendt
Ray Bradbury
Virginia Cuthbert
Ingolf Dahl
Koren DerHarootian
Edwin Dickinson
Hazard Durfee
Antonio Frasconi
Richmond Lattimore
Colin McPhee
David Riesman
David K. Rubins
Ruthven Todd
Hugo Weisgall
C. Vann Woodward

Hassam, Speicher, Betts, and Symons Purchase Fund Awards:
Peggy Bacon
Thomas Blagden
Byron Browne
Colleen Browning
Victor Candell
Stephen Etnier
Frederick Franck
David Fredenthal
Sidney Gross
Eric Isenberger
Hazel Janicki
Julian Levi
Ogden M. Pleissner
Daniel Rasmusson
Herbert Saslow
Edward John Jr. Stevens

Rome Fellowship Award:
Richard Wilbur

Recorded at the Academy Auditorium.


Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC Collection


WNYC archives id: 150183
Municipal archives id: LT2835