I did go through our collection of the Journal here in the library and sent
along some information to the researcher in England. Chesterton's letter of
acceptance (note really)- is reproduced in an issue. Also, in Tom Tenney's
memorial issue for Cyril he printed a page that lists the dispersal of
Cyril's papers and correspondence. It's more widely scattered than you'd
think. And yes, everything I've heard about Cyril brands him as eccentric.

I didn't copy the whole list on what I sent to England. I can get the
citations for those issues of the Journal if anyone else is interested.

Mark


On Tue, Nov 19, 2013 at 10:20 AM, Quirk, Thomas V. <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> Cyril Clemens was an eccentric but a canny one.  There were dozens and
> dozens of vice presidents in the Society.  So far as I can tell their only
> duty was to write a letter complimenting or celebrating Mark Twain.  Among
> those who wrote such letters were F. Scott Fitzgerald, Willa Cather,every
> U.S. President from FDR to Nixon, and he even got one from Mussolini.
> Quarry Farm has the largest set of the journals I have seen, but I don't
> know if it is complete.  I don't recall seeing one from Chesterton but that
> doesn't mean anything; it is a safe bet that the letter would be reprinted
> (sometimes in facsimile) in a prominent place, such as the back cover.
> Perhaps someone in Elmira could go through their issues and look.  At any
> rate, it would be nice to have a list of those notables who wrote
> "tributes"
> (to use Huck's term) to Twain.
>
> Tom Quirk
>
>
> On 11/18/13 10:48 AM, "John Bird" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > I am posting this message on behalf of a researcher in England who said
> she
> > had trouble posting to the list. Replies should be sent to her, but I am
> > sure we would all like to see them, too. Beginning message:
> >
> > Dear Mark Twain Forum,
> >
> > I'm an academic in England attempting to put together a Collected
> Letters of
> > G. K. Chesterton.
> >
> > I've discovered that Chesterton was a Vice President of the International
> > Mark Twain Society when it was founded. It seems possible that he
> therefore
> > wrote them at least a couple of letters.
> >
> > However, the International Mark Twain Society is now very hard to find
> any
> > trace of: I have already discovered that it is NOT the American Mark
> Twain
> > Circle. But I can't believe that the International Mark Twain Society
> simply
> > disappeared with the death of Cyril Clemens (who founded it),  in 1999  -
> > and that all its records were then destroyed.
> >
> > So - do any of you know what became of the International Mark Twain
> Society
> > and whether it has any archives that I could search?
> >
> > With thanks and best wishes,
> >
> > Dr. Emma Wilson
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > John Bird
> > [log in to unmask]
>



-- 
Mark Woodhouse
Technical Services and Archives Librarian
Gannett-Tripp Library
Elmira College
One Park Place
Elmira NY 14901
607 735 1869