The committee express thanks for the approval which affirms that “No more fitting tribute to the genius of William Sidney Porter (O.  Henry) could possibly have been devised than that of this ‘Memorial Award,’” [1] which recognizes each story as “a definite expression of American life—­as O. Henry’s was,” [2] which knows by inescapable logic that a story ranking second with five judges is superior to one ranking first with only one of these.  A number of reviewers graciously showed awareness of this fact.

[Footnote 1:  New York Times, June 2, 1920.]

[Footnote 2:  Chicago Tribune, Paris Edition, August 7, 1920.]

The Committee of Award for 1920 consisted of

Blanche Colton Williams, Ph.D., Chairman  |
Edward J. Wheeler, Litt.D.                | Judges
Ethel Watts Mumford                       |
Merle st. Croix Wright, D.D.              |
and John F. Tucker, Managing Director of the Society,
Founder of the O. Henry Memorial.

As in preceding years the Committee held regular meetings at which they weighed the merits of every story-candidate presented.  By January, 1921, one hundred and twenty-five remained, among which those rated highest are as follows:[3]

  Babcock, Edwina Stanton, Gargoyle (Harper’s, Sept.)
  Barrett, Richmond Brooks, The Daughter of the Bernsteins
    (Smart Set, July). 
  “Belden, Jacques,” The Duke’s Opera (Munsey’s, October). 
  Benet, Stephen Vincent, The Funeral of John Bixby (Munsey’s, July). 
  Brooks, Jonathan, Bills Playable (Collier’s, September 18). 
  Burt, Maxwell Struthers, A Dream or Two (Harper’s, May);
    Each in His Generation (Scribner’s, July). 
  Cabell, James Branch, The Designs of Miramon (Century, August). 
  Child, Richard Washburn, A Thief Indeed (Pictorial Review, June). 
  Clausen, Carl, The Perfect Crime (Saturday Evening Post, Sept. 25). 
  Cram, Mildred, The Ember (McCall’s, June); Odell (Red
    Book, May); Wind (Munsey’s, August). 
  Dobie, Charles Caldwell, Young China (Ladies Home Journal, August). 
  Edwards, Cleveland, Pride o’ Name on Peachtree (Live Stories, Feb.). 
  Ferber, Edna, You’ve Got to Be Selfish (McClure’s, April). 
  Fitzgerald, Scott, The Camel’s Back (Saturday Evening Post,
    Apr. 24); The Cut-Glass Bowl (Scribner’s, May);
    The Off-Shore Pirate (Saturday Evening Post, May 29). 
  Forbes, Esther, Break-Neck Hill (Grinnell Review, September). 
  Gilpatric, Guy, Black Art and Ambrose (Collier’s, August 21). 
  Hartman, Lee Foster, The Judgment of Vulcan (Harper’s, March). 
  Hergesheimer, Joseph, “Read Them and Weep” (Century, January).