Sedgwick graduated from Harvard University in 1882, and studied law in Boston until 1884 when he was admitted to the bar. He practiced law in New York City from 1885 to 1898. He was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, and was elected in 1893 as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, whose members were chosen from the National Institute; they have since become one entity. He also was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Boston) and the Massachusetts Historical Society.
