American Academy of Arts and Letters

Overview

American Academy of Arts and Letters, established 1904 (splitting off from the National Institute of Arts and Letters, founded 1898), is an honorary society headquartered in Washington Heights, New York on land donated by member Archer M. Huntington, who also established its founding endowment in 1914. Subsequent member bequests (James Merrill's estate, Charles Ives's copyrights/royalties via widow Harmony Ives) have funded over $4M in composer awards since 1970.

Key Facts

Type

Foundation