Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-10
RHODES SCHOLARSHIP
Provisions of South African
Millionaire's Will Causing
Inquiries.
NO DECISION YET ARRIVED AT
Valuable Suggestions Received From
Leading Educators as to Manner of
Distributing the Great Prizes and
Requirements That Should Be Conn
piled With by Contestants for Honors.

/ Des Moines, Jan. 10.-A great many
Inquiries are coming 10 Governor Cum
Minis in regard to the Rhodes scholar
ships which were provided for In the
will Of the late South African Million
Iaire. two Of which are to go to each
state. Governor Cun1mins is unable to
make satisfactory answers to the in
quirers from the fact that he has no
information as yet in regard to the
manner in which the scholarships are to
be awarded. He has, however, for
warded to Secretary Hay some sugges-
ltions he has received in regard to the
manner in which the awards OF schol-
arships might be made. Four OF these
statements proceed from leading edu-
Gators Of the state, the superintendent,
the president Of the State University,
president of the State Normal School
and president Of Iowa College. Their
views differ greatly and are doubly In
teresting because of this fact. Whether
Il these suggestions will be OF real bene-
fit to those who are charged with the
duty of preparing the rules and regu-
llations under which the scholarships
are to be awarded is q matter yet to be
determined. Governor Cummins Is in
receipt of a number of applications for
appointment to these scholarships
Some OF the applicants believe that
they will be awarded by the governor
Ialone, while others are merely getting
Into line for such an examination as he
| may require. 1t is plain that when the
time comes for making the awards
there will be many Iowans ready to
enter the contest and try for the great
prizes.
President Homer Fl. Seerley, Of the
State Normal School, in his reply to the
inquiry and invitation Of the governor
wrote:
II take it for granted that the method
of appointment will be competitive in
order to get the best representatives
possible. 1t will be specially attractive
to persons of moderate financial condi-
ton, as those with wealth would be able
to study anywhere without any him
drance. believe that the trustees
should specify the following:
Il. Physical examination required.
"2. Intellectual qualifications neces-
sary to meet the needs of the uniyer-
sity so as to place all students on
equivalent bases.
49, Moral character requirements.
~. Spirit and purpose of the indi-
vidual as to vocation afterward. as
those kind Of studies should have some
,to;r
IS. Variety Of work that can re of
fered to students by the university.
whether 1t would be simply graduate
study such as college professors might
desire to fit them for their fields Of Ia
Dor, or to include all general professions
like the law. that Of medicine, theology,
politics and government. ETC.. so that
there might be much chance for special
izauon. I can see that the preparation
for public life might be greatly helped
by this chance for cosmopolitan train
ing where the students would meet all
the civilized world.
ITO make such a scheme successful
demands also much consideration of
the needs of the nations to be inter-
ested. Americans will not go to school
in England If they are to be treated as
tho they were to become Englishmen-
they will still want to be granted the
recognition due Americans. Hence the
work offered by these courses should
also take care of the agricultural, in
dustrial and commercial aspects of
modern education. Ii the work to be
offered simply deals with the common
branches of knowledge, as now pro-
posed by the great universities, it will
not be profitable to the world at large"
Professor Richard G. Barrett, super
|intendent Of public instruction, in his
letter to the governor wrote:
This department has given the mat
ter careful consideration, and must now
confess that the problem presented,
namely, how to distribute the free
scholarships among the different states
of the union, seems to us to be a most
difficult one.
IF the only question presented was to
determine who is the best qualified in
scholastic and physical sense, the ques-
ton would be very much simplified. If
this were the case it would then be pos
sible to award the scholarship upon a
competitive examination similar to that
now held for admission to the military
academy. Mr.. Rhodes. however, ex-
pressly states: My desire being that
the students who shall be elected to the
scholarships shall not be merely book
worms, direct that in the election of a
student to scholarship regard shall be
had to ID his literary and scholastic
attachments, GD his fondness of and
success in manly outdoor sports such
as cricket, football and the like, GiI his
qualities of manhood, truth, courage,
devotion to duty, sympathy for the pro-
lection Of the weak, kindness. UNI
selfishness and fellowship and Gv) his
exhibition during school days of moral
force Of character and of instincts to
lead and to take an interest in his
schoolmates, for the latter attributes
will be likely in after life to guide him
to esteem the performance Of public du-
ties as his highest AIM
"While it is possible that some just
estimate might be made of an appli-
cant's fondness of and success in OUT
door sports, / know of no way by which
points Iii and Nv could be wisely deter
mined, unless 1t be upon the testimony
Of those who are thoroughly and we'll
acquainted personally with the different
candidates. In other words, these points,
1t seems to me, would need to be COW
cred by documentary evidence rather
than by any other test that might be
applied"
Professor Dean F. Bradley, president
ro,,o Col1ara cr}prol1 In bfc