Difference between revisions of "Rhodes Scholarship" - New World Encyclopedia

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Rhodes House in Oxford, designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

The Rhodes Scholarship is an international award for study at the University of Oxford and was the first large-scale program of international scholarships,^[1] founded in 1902 by the will of Oxford alumni Cecil John Rhodes. Rhodes Scholars may study any full-time postgraduate course offered by the University, whether a taught Master’s program, a research degree, or a second undergraduate degree(senior status).

Overview

The University of Oxford (usually abbreviated as Oxon. for post-nominals), located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The University of Oxford is a member of the Russell Group of research-led British universities, the Coimbra Group (a network of leading European universities), the League of European Research Universities, and is also a core member of the Europaeum. Academically, Oxford is consistently ranked in the world's top ten universities.^[2]For more than a century, it has served as the home of the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which brings highly accomplished students from a number of countries to study at Oxford as postgraduates; these students often return to their home countries to pursue leadership positions in academia, business, or politics.

The Scholarship is for two years in the first instance, though may be held for one year only; applications for a third year are considered during the course of the 2nd year.

University and College fees are paid by the Rhodes Trust. In addition, Scholars receive a monthly maintenance stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses. Although all scholars become affiliated with a residential college while at Oxford, they also enjoy access to Rhodes House, an early 20th century mansion with numerous public rooms, gardens, a library, study areas, and other facilities.

History

Cecil John Rhodes was a British-born South African businessman, mining magnate, and politician. He was an ardent believer in colonialism and was the founder of the state of Rhodesia, which was named after him. Rhodesia, later Northern and Southern Rhodesia, eventually became Zambia and Zimbabwe respectively. He is also especially known today for the scholarship that bears his name. Although Rhodes remained a leading figure in the politics of southern Africa, especially during the Second Boer War, he was dogged by ill health throughout his relatively short life. Rhodes died in 1902, and was considered at the time one of the wealthiest men in the world.

In his first will (before he had any real money), Rhodes wanted to create a secret society that would bring the whole world under British rule.^[3] The exact wording of the will is:

To and for the establishment, promotion and development of a Secret Society, the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of British rule throughout the world, the perfecting of a system of emigration from the United Kingdom, and of colonisation by British subjects of all lands where the means of livelihood are attainable by energy, labour and enterprise, and especially the occupation by British settlers of the entire Continent of Africa, the Holy Land, the Valley of the Euphrates, the Islands of Cyprus and Candia, the whole of South America, the Islands of the Pacific not heretofore possessed by Great Britain, the whole of the Malay Archipelago, the seaboard of China and Japan, the ultimate recovery of the United States of America as an integral part of the British Empire, the inauguration of a system of Colonial representation in the Imperial Parliament which may tend to weld together the disjointed members of the Empire and, finally, the foundation of so great a Power as to render wars impossible, and promote the best interests of humanity.

In his last will and testament, he provided for the establishment of the Rhodes Scholarships. The scholarship program enabled students from territories under British rule, formerly under British rule, or from Germany, to study at the University of Oxford.

Rhodes' vision for the scholarships did not hold long; his bequest 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. However, the sentiment of exclusion remained for a long time. The elimination of the scholarships for Germany during World Wars I and II, illustrated the biased selection of the trustees. Because the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in the United Kingdom did not affect wills, it took another Act of Parliament to change the Rhodes' will to extend selection criteria in 1977 to include women.

Administration

The scholarships are administered and awarded by the Rhodes Trust which was established in 1902 under the terms and conditions of the will of Cecil John Rhodes, and funded by his estate. Scholarships have been awarded to applicants annually since 1904 on the basis of academic achievement and strength of character. There have been more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars since the inception of the Trust. More than 4,000 are still living.^[4] In 1925, the Commonwealth Fund Fellowships (later renamed Harkness Fellowships) were established to reciprocate the Rhodes Scholarships by enabling British graduates to study in the United States.^[5]

Standards

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.

Allocations

There were originally 52 scholarships. During the ensuing 100 years, the Trustees added at one time or another approximately another 40 scholarships, though not all have continued. Some of these extended the scheme to Commonwealth countries not mentioned in the Will.^[4] A more detailed allocation by region by year can be found at Rhodes Scholarship Allocations. Very brief summaries of some of the terms and conditions can be found on the Trust's web site.^[6]^[7] Complete details can be obtained from the nominating countries.^[8]

Currently, scholars are selected from citizens of 14 specified geographic constituencies,^[9]^[10] namely: Australia; Bermuda; Canada; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Jamaica & Commonwealth Caribbean; Kenya; New Zealand; Pakistan; Southern Africa (South Africa and neighbours Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland); USA; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

From 2006, 11 scholarships were suspended for a period of 5 years.^{[citation needed]} The scholarships for Hong Kong were abolished in July 1997 following its withdrawal from the Commonwealth (due to the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China). However, with the benefaction from the Lee Hysan Foundation (described by the Rhodes Trust as "substantial and generous"^{[citation needed]}), the Rhodes Scholarships for Hong Kong are to be reintroduced.^[11]

Notable Rhodes Scholarship recipients

A table of Notable Rhodes Scholarship recipients can be found at Notable Rhodes Scholars.

Centenary degrees

In recognition of the centenary of the foundation of the Rhodes Trust in 2003, four 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
Robert J. L. (Bob) Hawke (Western Australia & University 1953), Prime Minister of Australia, 1983-1991
Rex Nettleford (Jamaica & Oriel 1957), Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, author, dance director
David R. Woods (Rhodes & University 1963), Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University

Notes

↑ (2008) Office of the American Secretary: The Rhodes Trust "Scholarship Information" Retrieved June 23, 2008
↑ Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2007), "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2007". Retrieved October 23, 2007
↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named thomas
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Brief history of the Rhodes Trust
↑ History of the Harkness Fellowships
↑ Rhodes Scholarship FAQ
↑ Information about the Scholarships
↑ Country Websites and Information
↑ Rhodes Scholarship constituencies
↑ Countries from which Rhodes Scholars are selected
↑ The Rhodes Scholarship for Hong Kong - Memorandum for 2007

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

R.I. Rotberg, "The Founder: Cecil Rhodes and the Pursuit of Power" (Oxford University Press, New York, 1988)
Anthony Kenny (ed.), "The History of the Rhodes Trust" (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001)

External links

Credits

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[1] (2008) Office of the American Secretary: The Rhodes Trust "Scholarship Information" Retrieved June 23, 2008

[2] Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2007), "Academic Ranking of World Universities 2007". Retrieved October 23, 2007

[thomas-3] Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named thomas

[BriefHistory-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Brief history of the Rhodes Trust

[5] History of the Harkness Fellowships

[6] Rhodes Scholarship FAQ

[7] Information about the Scholarships

[8] Country Websites and Information

[9] Rhodes Scholarship constituencies

[10] Countries from which Rhodes Scholars are selected

[11] The Rhodes Scholarship for Hong Kong - Memorandum for 2007

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@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ==History==
-'''Cecil John Rhodes''', [[Privy Council|PC]] ([[July 5]] [[1853]] &ndash; [[March 26]] [[1902]]<ref>"Death Of Mr. Rhodes", ''[[The Times]]'', [[27 March]] [[1902]]; pg. 7</ref>) was a British-born South African [[business]]man, mining [[magnate]], and [[politician]]. He was the founder of the diamond company [[De Beers]], which today markets 60% of the world's rough diamonds and at one time marketed 90%{{Fact|date=June 2008}}. He was an ardent believer in [[colonialism]] and was the founder of the state of [[Rhodesia (disambiguation)|Rhodesia]], which was named after him. Rhodesia, later [[Northern Rhodesia|Northern]] and [[Southern Rhodesia]], eventually became [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]] respectively. He is also especially known today for the [[Rhodes Scholarship|scholarship that bears his name]].
+Cecil John Rhodes was a British-born [[South Africa|South African]] [[business]]man, mining [[magnate]], and [[politician]]. He was an ardent believer in [[colonialism]] and was the founder of the state of [[Rhodesia (disambiguation)|Rhodesia]], which was named after him. Rhodesia, later [[Northern Rhodesia|Northern]] and [[Southern Rhodesia]], eventually became [[Zambia]] and [[Zimbabwe]] respectively. He is also especially known today for the [[Rhodes Scholarship|scholarship that bears his name]]. Although Rhodes remained a leading figure in the politics of southern Africa, especially during the [[Second Boer War]], he was dogged by ill health throughout his relatively short life. Rhodes died in 1902, and was considered at the time one of the wealthiest men in the world.
-Although Rhodes remained a leading figure in the politics of southern Africa, especially during the [[Second Boer War]], he was dogged by ill health throughout his relatively short life. Rhodes died in 1902, and was considered at the time one of the wealthiest men in the world.
 In his first will (before he had any real money), Rhodes wanted to create a [[secret society]] that would bring the whole world under British rule.<ref name=thomas/> The exact wording of the will is:
@@ Line 23: / Line 21: @@
 :To and for the establishment, promotion and development of a Secret Society, the true aim and object whereof shall be for the extension of British rule throughout the world, the perfecting of a system of emigration from the United Kingdom, and of colonisation by British subjects of all lands where the means of livelihood are attainable by energy, labour and enterprise, and especially the occupation by British settlers of the entire Continent of Africa, the [[Holy Land]], the Valley of the [[Euphrates]], the Islands of [[Cyprus]] and [[Crete|Candia]], the whole of South America, the [[Pacific Islands|Islands of the Pacific]] not heretofore possessed by Great Britain, the whole of the [[Malay Archipelago]], the seaboard of [[China]] and [[Japan]], the ultimate recovery of the [[United States|United States of America]] as an integral part of the British Empire, the inauguration of a system of Colonial representation in the Imperial Parliament which may tend to weld together the disjointed members of the Empire and, finally, the foundation of so great a Power as to render wars impossible, and promote the best interests of humanity.
-In his last will and testament, he provided for the establishment of the [[Rhodes Scholarship]]s.  The scholarship program enables students from territories under British rule, formerly under British rule, or from Germany, to study at the [[University of Oxford]].
+In his last will and testament, he provided for the establishment of the [[Rhodes Scholarship]]s.  The scholarship program enabled students from territories under British rule, formerly under British rule, or from Germany, to study at the [[University of Oxford]].
-Rhodes' will also left a large area of land on the slopes of [[Table Mountain]] to the South African nation. Part of this estate became the upper campus of the [[University of Cape Town]], part became the [[Kirstenbosch]] gardens, while much was spared from development and is now an important conservation area.  [[Rhodes Memorial]] stands on Rhodes' favourite spot on the slopes of [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]], with a view looking north and east towards the Cape to Cairo route. Rhodes' house in Cape Town, [[Groote Schuur]], has recently been inhabited by the ex deputy president [[Jacob Zuma]]. The cottage in [[Muizenberg]] where he died is a national monument. Rhodes was laid to rest at World's View, a hilltop located approximately 35 kilometers south of [[Bulawayo]], in what was then [[Rhodesia]]. Today, his grave site is part of [[Matobo National Park]], [[Zimbabwe]].
-In 2004, he was voted 56th in the [[SABC3's Great South Africans]].
-There has been some controversy over the [[Cecil Rhodes#Rhodes's will and the Rhodes Scholarship|original aim of the scholarships]], as it has been alleged that Rhodes held [[racist]] opinions about the superiority of the [[Anglo]] race, and that his intention was to use the scholarships to educate future foreign leaders in [[UK|Britain]] so that they could help spread British influence when they returned to their home countries. The Secretary of the Rhodes Trust 1925-1939 was [[Philip Kerr, 11th Marquess of Lothian]] who was a progressive imperialist, and an ex-member of [[Milner's Kindergarten]].
-An early change was the elimination of the scholarships for [[Germany]] during World Wars [[World War I|I]] and [[World War II|II]]. No German scholars were chosen from 1914 to 1932<ref>[[Adam von Trott zu Solz]] was Germany's Rhodes Scholar in 1931. He was executed by the Nazis in 1944.</ref>, nor from 1939 to 1970. Also, between the wars, for political and propaganda reasons [[Erich Vermehren]] was prevented by the German government from taking up a Rhodes Scholarship.
-Rhodes' bequest 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 Rhodes' will to extend selection criteria in 1977 to include women.
-For at least its first 75 years, scholars usually studied for a [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree. While that remains an option, more recent scholars usually study for an [[Degrees of Oxford University|advanced degree]].
+Rhodes' vision for the scholarships did not hold long; his bequest 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]]. However, the sentiment of exclusion remained for a long time. The elimination of the scholarships for [[Germany]] during World Wars [[World War I|I]] and [[World War II|II]], illustrated the biased selection of the trustees. Because the [[Sex Discrimination Act 1975]] in the United Kingdom did not affect wills, it took another Act of Parliament to change the Rhodes' will to extend selection criteria in 1977 to include women.
 ==Administration==