The Beginning
Dr. Eugênio Lopes Barcellos, the 1st President.


The first presidential mandate was organizational, with some alterations on the Board of Directors, leaving the President Eugênio Lopes Barcellos, on October 29, 1922, and taking over the Vice-President José Bento de Freitas Mello, until January 3, 1923, when takes over the 2nd Vice-President Pedro Lacerda Rocha, who stays in the Presidency until January 17, taking over the Presidency the 1st Secretary Joaquim Gomes dos Santos, until April 4, 1923, when takes over again J. B. de Freitas Mello, who, in a few days, passes the Presidency to José Vieira, who carries out for two mandates, the first one incomplete, taking over Aristides Werneck.

In this interim, to calm down pressures, Aristides Werneck, on January 16, 1924, on the assembly, approves and registers the new Statute, and the entity starts being called "Association of Sciences and Letters". Takes over again José Vieira, on January 22, 1924, until resigning on January 8, 1925, being replaced by Arthur Barbosa, who passes the Presidency to Raphale Mayrinck on January 7, 1926.

The Association´s first two years were agitated by internal matters, when vain people appeared interested in personal promotion, that resulted in the unusual change of chairs on a short period of time.

From Raphale Mayrinck´s administration onwards, tempers were cooled down, the ones who were not satisfied left and the Association became respected and active in the Petropolitan Culture.

The Academy

In January, 1928, Raphael Mayrinck passes the Presidency to the academic Nair de Teffé Hermes da Fonseca, with 4 reelections, leaving the post, in January, 1933, for the elected President Alcindo de Azevedo Sodré.

In Nair de Teffé´s administration time, the entity ceased being the Association of Science and Letters, and started being called Petropolitan Academy of Letters, limiting the number of associates in 50, fixed seats with no patronymic tributes.

The Board of Directors that promotes the new social denomination in force since December 30, 1929 is formed by: Nair de Teffé, President; Priest Lúcio Gambarra, 1st Secretary; Joaquim Gomes dos Santos, 2nd Secretary; and Soleyman Antoun, Treasurer. Took part of the historical Assembly, besides the already mentioned directors: D. José Pereira Alves, Alfredo de Mattos Rudge, Antônio de Paula Buarque, Arthur Alves Barbosa, Alcindo de Azevedo Sodré, Armando Martins, Priest Conrado Jacarandá, Joaquim de Gomensoro, Décio Cesário Alvim, Barbosa Gonçalves, Walter João Bretz, Reynaldo Antônio da Silva Chaves, Sylvio de Abreu Fialho, Álvaro Machado, Anthero Palma, Salomão Pedro Jorge, Armando Lima, Paulo Monte, Raphael Mayrinck, Durval de Moraes, Ernesto Tornaghi, Octávio Venâncio da Silva, Eugênio Libonatti, Flávio Vieira Maciel, José Bento de Freitas Mello, Aloysio Silva, Vicente Amorim, Aristides Werneck, Arthur de Sá Earp Filho, Mário de Paula Fonseca, Mário Dias, Frederico Villar, Luiz Quirino de Magalhães Gomes, Paulo de Mattos Rudge, Sylvio Leitão da Cunha Filho, Luiz Amaral, Eugênio Lopes Barcellos, Francisco Carauta de Souza, Henrique Mercaldo, Leôncio Corrêa and Alfredo Mariano d'Oliveira, with 45 associates in the total.