Papers of John Adams, volume 21
It is with particular satisfaction that, in Obedience to
the Orders of the American Philosophical Society established at Philadelphia
for promoting usefull Knowledge, We announce your Election into that Body,
on the 18th Inst.1
Your Certificate of Membership will be presented as soon as it can be compleated, in the mean time We hope to have the pleasure of seeing you at their meetings as often as may be convenient, and 163 to be honoured with such Communications from Time to Time as may tend to promote the laudable Objects of the Institution.
We have the honor to be / With the greatest Respect / Sir / Your most obedient & / most humble servants
aWilliams
RC (Adams Papers); internal address: “The Honble Jno Adams
Vice President of the United states &c.”; endorsed: “James
Hutchinson / Jonathan Williams / Jan. 22. ansd. 24. 1793. / Certificate of Member / Ship of the Philosophi
/ cal Society.”; docketed by JA: “answered 24. January
1793.”
JA was previously elected as a member of
the American Philosophical Society on 21 Jan. 1780, but poor
recordkeeping evidently necessitated this action thirteen years later.
The corresponding secretaries were Dr. James Hutchinson (1752–1793),
former surgeon general of Pennsylvania, who died during the 1793 yellow
fever epidemic; and Philadelphia merchant Jonathan Williams Jr.
(1750–1815), who became the first superintendent of the U.S. Military
Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 1802 (
AFC
, 3:299–300; Amer. Philos. Soc., Procs.
, 56:xv–xvi, xvii; Washington, Diaries
, 5:184; Washington, Papers,
Presidential Series
, 11:249).
I have received the Letter you did me the honour to write me on the twenty Second of this month and I pray you to present to The American Philosophical society established at Philadelphia for promoting Useful Knowledge, my Thanks for the honour they have done me, by my Election into that Body on the Eighteenth instant.
My best acknowledgements are also due to you, Gentlemen for the polite and obliging manner in which you have communicated to me, the Information of this pleasing Event.
I have the honour to be, / with much esteem / Gentlemen / your most obedient / and most humble servant
RC (PPAmP); internal address: “James Hutchinson
/ and / Jonathan Williams Esqrs /
Corresponding Secretaries / of The Philosophical Society /
Philadelphia”; endorsed: “John Adams / acknowledging Receipt of /
notification of Election & / expressing his thanks therefor / Jan.
24. 1793—”; docketed: “Read Nov. 6h.
1795—”