The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-12-27
American Boys
at Oxford.

Ahe l. dulpd lIHleS IN q recent ISSUE
says Reports from the American
youths who hold Rhodes Scholarships
In England are not very fattering.
They hold their own in athletics. but
IN intellectual contests they were
barely, the best Of them, inside the
also-ran class. The boys have prob
ably never before been taught what
schools are for.
The Times Oxford correspondent. if
} this was the source from which this
news was derived, is evidently not OF
American birth, or friendly to the boys
from this country who are ENJOYING
the benefits of these scholarships. If
the Times man had taken the trouble
to Investigate this charge against the
American boys at Oxford it would
have found that our boys in the big
English university are making spIen-
dlu records and their marks compare
favorably with the students of any
other country at this institution.
In the American colleges more stress
is put on the practical studies OF
science, history, law and economies.
but In the English colleges the
classics, philosophy and mathematics
are the most prominent studies. II
viii therefore be seen that our Amer
lean boys when they enter Oxford
university are somewhat handicap
ped, but the representatives that
have gone there from the United
states have made splendid records,
and this notwithstanding the differ.
enee in the systems of the institu-
lions OF the two countries.
In Oxford university one is made
to know the Greek and Latin as thew
would their mother tongue and it re-
quires six years study of these Ian.
guages in order ior one to be properlv
advanced to enter the university. As
very few of the American colleges
devote this much time TO these studies
the prospective student for Oxford
has to do work outside of his regular
college course here before he goes to
England.
The Rhodes scholarships in Oxford
university are valuable, but the re-
luirements are such that compare
lively few enter the contests for them.
ITO successfully pass the examination
one must have had a thorough train
Ing In the classics and must at the
same time be good athlete. There
are other restrictions as to age, good
health, etc. that makes it very diff
cult for the average American college
man to successfully pass the exam
inations, but every American student
who has successfully met these condi-
tons and entered Oxford university
has been a credit to his country.
The representative from Florida, at
present, Is Tampa boy who received
his education at the Florida State Col
lege in Tallahassee. With view to
entering the contest for one of these
places this young man carried extra
courses in the classics during his last
year In college and when the time
for the examination came he passed
creditable examination and was
awarded the honor. After his cleo
ton, and before he went to England,
he continued his studies. and when he
presented his credentials at the uni.
versity he was admitted 40 Pembroke
college for the honor degree. He has
successfully passed all his examina-
tions in that institution, in the two
years that he has been there, and
some of his grades have been remark.
ably high
The Tampa Times was evidently
misinformed in regard to the Ameri-
can boys at Oxford. and should cor
rect that statement. at least insofar
as the Florida representative is con-
cerned. for Fritz Buchholz of Tampa
Is making record at Oxford that all
Floridians can well be proud of.
o,,Nr