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Rhodes Scholarships are the world's oldest and most prestigious international fellowships. The scholarships were initiated after the death of Cecil John Rhodes and have been awarded to applicants annually since 1902 by the Oxford-based Rhodes Trust on the basis of academic qualities, as well as those of character. They provide the successful candidate with two years of study at the University of Oxford in England, possibly extended for a third year. Each year approximately a thousand endorsed candidates compete for the 32 U.S. Rhodes Scholarships.
When Rhodes died in 1902, his will stipulated that the greater part of his fortune was to go toward the establishment of a scholarship fund to reward applicants who exhibited worthy qualities of intellect, character, and physical ability.
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Standards
The requirements for applicants are high. Rhodes' legacy specified four standards by which applicants were to be judged:
literary and scholastic attainments;
energy to use one's talents to the full, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports;
truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship;
moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.
This legacy originally provided for scholarships for the British colonies, the United States, and Germany. These three were chosen so that "an understanding between the three great powers will render war impossible."
Rhodes, who attended Oxford University, chose his alma mater as the site of his great experiment because he believed its residential colleges provided the ideal environment for intellectual contemplation and personal development.
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Rhodes original aim with the Scholarship, and subsequent changes
There has been some controversy over the original aim of the scholarships, as Rhodes held what many today believe to be racist opinions about the superiority of the Anglo race, and his intention was to use the scholarships to educate future foreign leaders in Britain so that they could help spread British influence when they returned to their home countries.
An early change was the elimination of the scholarships for Germany during World Wars I and II. No German scholars were chosen from 1914 to 1932, nor from 1939 to 1970.
The bequest of Cecil John Rhodes was whittled down considerably in the first decades after his death, as various scholarship trustees were forced to pay taxes upon their own deaths. A change occurred in 1929, when an Act of Parliament established a fund separate from the original proceeds of Rhodes's will. This made it possible to expand the number of scholarships. For example, between 1993 and 1995, scholarships were extended to other countries in the European Community.
Because the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in the United Kingdom did not affect wills, it took another Act of Parliament to change the will of Cecil John Rhodes to extend selection criteria in 1977 to include women.
For at least its first 75 years, scholars usually read for a Bachelor of Arts degree. While that remains an option, more recent scholars usually read for an advanced degree.
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Allocations
Approximately 90 Scholars are selected worldwide each year. From 2006, 11 scholarships will be suspended for a period of 5 years, and the scholarship for Hong Kong abolished, following its withdrawal from the Commonwealth since the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in July 1997.
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Notable Rhodes Scholarship recipients
See also: category
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Before 1920
John J. Tigert (Tennessee & Pembroke 1904), U.S. Commissioner of Education, 1921-1928
Norman W. Manley MM QC (Jamaica & Jesus 1914), Chief Minister of Jamaica, 1955-1959, Premier of Jamaica, 1959-1962
Roland Michener PC CC (Alberta & Hertford 1919), Governor General of Canada, 1967-1974
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1920s
Sir Keith Hancock (Australia & Magdalen 1921), Australian historian
William E. Stevenson (1922), American Olympic gold medalist in 1924, President of Oberlin College (1946-1961), U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines (1961-1965)
Sir John C. Eccles (Victoria & Magdalen 1925), Australian scientist, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1963
George F. G. Stanley CC (Alberta & Keble 1929), Canadian historian, designer of Canadian flag, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick
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1930s
Carl B. Albert (Oklahoma & St Peter's 1931), Speaker of U.S. House of Representatives (1971-1977), U.S. Congressman (Oklahoma), 1947-1977
Dean Rusk (North Carolina & St John's 1931), U.S. Secretary of State, 1961-1969
W.L. Morton (Manitoba & St. John's 1932) Canadian historian
Ivan A. Getting (Massachusetts & Merton 1933), American weapons scientist and co-inventor of GPS technology
Max Gluckman (Transvaal & Exeter 1934), South African-British-Israeli social anthropologist
Sir John M. Templeton (Connecticut & Balliol 1934), businessman and founder of Templeton College, Oxford
George C. McGhee (Oklahoma & Queen's 1934), U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (1952-1953) and to Germany (1963-1968)
W. R. Jackett (Saskatchewan & Queen's 1934), Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada
Sir Arnold C. Smith (Ontario & Christ Church 1935), first Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
Philip Mayer Kaiser (Wisconsin & Balliol 1936), U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania (1961-1964), Hungary (1977-1980), and Austria (1980-1981), U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for International Affairs (1949-1953), Special Assistant to Governor Averell Harriman (1955-1959)
John B. Oakes (New York & Queens 1936), New York "Times" editor of the editorial page, 1961-1976
Gordon A. Craig (New Jersey & Balliol 1936), American historian and OSS veteran
Byron R. White (Colorado & Hertford 1938), football player, Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 1962-1993
Dominic Mintoff (Malta & Hertford 1939), Prime Minister of Malta, 1955-1957 & 1971-1984
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1940s
Sir Zelman Cowen KBE PC AC (Victoria & New College 1941), Australian jurist and academic, Governor General of Australia, 1977–1982
Nicholas de B. Katzenbach (New Jersey & Balliol 1947), U.S. Attorney General, 1965-1966, U.S. Under-Secretary of State, 1966-1969
Bernard W. Rogers (Kansas & University 1947), American general, Supreme Allied Commander, NATO
Stansfield Turner (Illinois & Exeter 1947), American admiral, Director of Central Intelligence, 1977-1981
James M. Hester (California & Pembroke 1947), First Rector of the United Nations University, President of New York University
Guy M. Davenport (North Carolina & Merton 1948), American writer and man of letters
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1950s
John Brademas (Indiana & Brasenose 1950), American politician, President of New York University, 1981-1992, U.S. Congressman (Indiana), 1959-1981
Richard N. Gardner (New York & Balliol 1951), U.S. Ambassador to Italy (1977-1981) and to Spain (1993-1997)
Stuart Hall (Jamaica & Merton 1951), British cultural theorist
Thomas A. Bartlett (Oregon & University 1951), President of the American University in Cairo, 1963-1969, Interim President of AUC, 2002-2003; Chancellor of the University of Alabama System, 1981-1989; Chancellor of the State University of New York, 1994-1996
James A. Gobbo CVO AC QC (Victoria & Magdalen 1952), Australian Supreme Court Judge and Governor of Victoria
Guido Calabresi (Connecticut & Magdalen 1953), American legal academic, Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, Professor and Dean at Yale Law School
Laurie Ackermann (Cape Province & Worcester 1954), Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
Paul S. Sarbanes (Maryland & Balliol 1954), U.S. Senator for Maryland, 1977-2007
Reynolds Price (North Carolina & Merton 1955), American poet and novelist
Virendra Dayal (India & University 1956), Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Neil L. Rudenstine (Connecticut & New College 1956), American educator, President of Harvard University, 1991-2001
Arthur Kroeger CC (Alberta & Pembroke 1956), Canadian civil servant and diplomat, Chancellor of Carleton University, 1993-2002
Aaron Sloman (South African College School & Balliol 1957) Philosopher, AI researcher, Cognitive Scientist.
Joseph S. Nye, Jr. (New Jersey & Exeter 1958), American political scientist, Chairman of the National Intelligence Council (1993-1994), Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (1994-1995), Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard
Jonathan Kozol (Massachusetts & Magdalen 1958), American writer and social activist
Manmohan Malhoutra (India & Balliol 1958), Assistant Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
Pete Dawkins (Michigan & Brasenose 1959), 1958 Heisman Trophy Winner, Brigadier General, US Army (Ret. 1983), Chairman and CEO of Diversified Distribution Services, Travelers Group
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1960s
Richard F. Celeste (Ohio & Exeter 1960), Governor of Ohio (1983-1991), Director of the Peace Corps, U.S. Ambassador to India, President of Colorado College
Girish Karnad (India & Lincoln 1960), Indian Kannada-language playwright and film actor
Lester C. Thurow (Montana & Balliol 1960), American economist and author, professor of economics at MIT
David H. Souter (New Hampshire & Magdalen 1961), Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 1990-
Rex D. Adams (West Virginia & Merton 1962), Chairman of the Board of PBS, Dean of the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
Walter B. Slocombe (Michigan & Balliol 1963), U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, 1994-2001, Senior Advisor for National Defense for the CPA, Baghdad, 2003
Bryan Gould (New Zealand & Balliol 1963), British politician, Labour MP for Dagenham
R. James Woolsey (Oklahoma & St John's 1963), Director of Central Intelligence, 1993-1995
Wasim Sajjad (Pakistan & Wadham 1964), Pakistani politician and lawyer, Interim President of Pakistan, Chairman of the Senate
J. Gustave Speth (South Carolina & Balliol 1964), Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, 1993-1999, Dean of School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale
William W. Bradley (Missouri & Worcester 1965), American politician, NBA star, U.S. Senator for New Jersey, 1979-1997, and Democratic presidential candidate, 2000
Aftab Seth (India & Christ Church 1965), Indian Ambassador to Japan
Daryl Williams AM QC (1965), Australian politician, Liberal Member of the House of Representatives, 1993-2004, Attorney-General of Australia 1996-2003
A. Michael Spence (Ontario & Magdalen 1966), Canadian economist, Nobel Prize in Economics for 2001
David E. Kendall (Indiana & Worcester 1966), American lawyer, President Clinton's personal lawyer
Deepak Nayyar (India & Balliol 1967), Vice Chancellor of Delhi University
Thomas H. Allen (Maine & Wadham 1967), American politician, U.S. Congressman (Maine), 1997-
Stephen A. Oxman (New Jersey & New College 1967), U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, 1993-1994
William A. Fletcher (Washington & Merton 1968), Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
Rex Murphy (Newfoundland & St Edmund Hall 1968), Canadian commentator
Ira Magaziner (Rhode Island & Balliol 1969), White House Senior Aide, 1993-1999, originator of ICANN
Gilles Berthiaume (Keble 1966), Program Manager, Fujitsu Siemens Computers
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1970s
James Bathurst University Of Sussex,University Of Melbourne
Jack Phillips (McGill & Balliol 1978), American Political Advisor and Inventor
Franklin D. Raines (Washington & Magdalen 1971), Chairman and CEO of Fannie Mae, 1999-2004; Director of the Office of Management and Budget, 1996-1998
Thomas F. Birmingham (Massachusetts & Exeter 1972), President of the Massachusetts Senate, Candidate for Democratic nomintion for Governor of Massachusetts, 2002
Kim C. Beazley (1973), Australian politician, Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Leader of the Opposition
Richard N. Haass (Florida & Wadham & St Antony's 1973), President of the Council on Foreign Relations, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, 2001-2003
Sir Rod Eddington (Western Australia & Lincoln 1974), Former CEO of British Airways
C. Thomas McMillen (Maryland & University 1974), U.S. Olympian, NBA basketball player, U.S. Congressman (Maryland), 1987-1993
Walter Isaacson (Louisiana & Pembroke 1974), author, President of the Aspen Institute, Managing Editor of Time magazine (1995-2001), Chairman and CEO of CNN
Elliot F. Gerson (Connecticut & Magdalen 1974), American Secretary of the Rhodes Trust, Vice President of the Aspen Institute, Deputy Attorney General of Connecticut
Michael Sandel (Massachusetts & Balliol 1975), American political philosopher and professor at Harvard University
Michael Gerrard L'Estrange - BA University of Sydney (1976)
Malcolm Turnbull (Sydney 1978), Australian lawyer, banker, and politician, Liberal Member of the House of Representatives, 2004-
C. David Naylor (Ontario & Hertford 1979), Canadian medical researcher, President of the University of Toronto
Nancy-Ann Min DeParle (Tennessee & Balliol 1979), Administrator of the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration, 1997-2000
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1980s
Elsdon Storey (Victoria & Magdalen & Wolfson 1980), Australian neurologist
Tony Abbott (New South Wales 1980), Australian politician, minister of health and aging, Member of the House of Representatives, 1994-
Clark Kent Ervin (Texas & St Catherine's 1980), Former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Heather A. Wilson (New Hampshire & Jesus 1982), U.S. Congresswoman (New Mexico), 1998-
David B. Vitter (Louisiana & Magdalen 1983), U.S. Senator (Louisiana), 2005-
Brian Greene (New York & Magdalen 1984), American physicist and string theorist
Robert Malley (Connecticut & Magdalen 1984), Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs, National Security Council, 1997-2001
Ronald Tenpas (Michigan State 1984), Associate Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, 2005-
Naomi R. Wolf (Connecticut & New College 1985), American author and feminist social critic
Susan E. Rice (District of Columbia & New College 1986), U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, 1997-2001
Brad R. Carson (Oklahoma & Trinity 1989), U.S. Congressman (Oklahoma), 2001-2005
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1990s
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (Louisiana & New College 1992), U.S. Congressman (Louisiana), 2005-, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2001-2004, President of the University of Louisiana System, 1999-2001
Sanjeev Sanyal (India & St.John's 1992), noted Asian economist, banker and conservationist
Noah Feldman (Massachusetts & Christ Church 1992), American author, NYU law professor, constitutional advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, 2003-2005
Annette Salmeen (California & St John's 1997), American Olympic gold medalist in swimming at Atlanta in 1996
Rachel Simmons (New York & Lincoln 1998), American author of Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls (Harcourt, 2002)
Eric Garcetti (Queen's and New York, '93), President of the Los Angeles City Council
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Centenary degrees
In recognition of the centenary of the foundation of the Rhodes Trust in 2003, five scholars were awarded honorary degrees by the University of Oxford:
John Brademas (Indiana & Brasenose 1950), President of New York University, U.S. Congressman (Indiana), 1959-1981
Rex Nettleford (Jamaica 1957), Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, author, dance director
David R. Woods (Rhodes & University 1963), Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University
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Notable universities
Adapted from the New York Times and the New York Sun
with supplementary information from The Harvard Crimson, Daily Princetonian, Brooklyn College Excelsior and Yale Daily News
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Former trustees
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