This folder contains correspondence and other documents relating to Edison's awards and honors. Also included are offers of distinctions and awards, as well as invitations to ceremonies, that Edison declined because of his aversion to attending formal events. Similar material can be found in E-17-52 (Invitations). The four selected items for 1917 consist of correspondence between Edison and Edgar F. Smith, provost of the University of Pennsylvania, concerning an honorary doctorate that the University wished to confer upon Edison. The inventor ultimately declined the honor, claiming that his work for the government prevented him from attending the commencement exercises. One of the letters contains the following comment by Edison: "if I must face Crowd I would rather not accept. The degree I received from Princeton laid me up three days."
Approximately 40 percent of the documents have been selected. The unselected items consist of letters to which Edison did not respond, along with material that duplicates the information in the selected documents.
[E1750AA], Letter from University of Pennsylvania, Edgar Fahs Smith to Thomas Alva Edison, May 5th, 1917 1917-05-05