Rhodes College Rhodes College is a private , predominantly undergraduate , liberal arts college located in Memphis , Tennessee , United States . Originally founded by freemason s in 1848 , Rhodes became affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in 1855 . Rhodes enrolls approximately 1 , 800 students pursuing bachelor ' s and master ' s degrees . The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools . History . Rhodes College traces its origin as a degree - granting institution to the Masonic University of Tennessee , founded in 1848 in Clarksville , Tennessee , by the Grand Masonic Lodge of Tennessee . The institution became Montgomery Masonic College in 1850 and later was renamed Stewart College in honor of its president , William M . Stewart . Under Stewart ' s leadership in 1855 , control of the college passed from the Masons to the Presbyterian Church . In 1875 , the college added an undergraduate School of theology and became Southwestern Presbyterian University . The School of Theology operated until 1917 . In 1925 , president Charles Diehl led the move to the present campus in Memphis , Tennessee ( the Clarksville campus would later become Austin Peay State University ) . At that time , the college shortened its name to Southwestern . In 1945 , the college adopted the name Southwestern at Memphis , to distinguish itself from other colleges and universities containing the name " Southwestern . " Finally , in 1984 , the college ' s name was changed to Rhodes College to honor former college president , and Diehl ' s successor , Peyton Nalle Rhodes . Since 1984 , Rhodes has grown from a regionally recognized institution to a nationally ranked liberal arts college . As enrollment has increased over the past twenty years , so has the proportion of students from outside Tennessee and the Southeast region . Dr . James Daughdrill served as president for over a quarter century . His successor is the current president of Rhodes , Dr . William E . Troutt , who joined the college as its 19th president in 1999 . Academics . The academic environment at Rhodes centers around small classes and an emphasis on student research and writing . Students are encouraged to participate in off - campus activities and " service learning . " They are also given the opportunity to participate in a variety of research - based programs , such as the Summer Plus program at St . Jude Children ' s Research Hospital , the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies , the Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts , the Mike Curb Institute for Music , and the Rhodes Service Fellows program . About one third of Rhodes students go on to graduate or professional school soon after graduation . The acceptance rates of Rhodes alumni to law and business school s are around 95 % , and the acceptance rate to medical school s is nearly twice the national average . Rhodes was featured in Loren Pope ' s " Colleges That Change Lives " and on the cover of the 2008 Princeton Review " Complete Book of Colleges " . " U . S . News and World Report " consistently ranks Rhodes among the nation ' s " top - tier " liberal arts colleges , ranking the school 47th among liberal arts colleges in 2010 . Forbes rated Rhodes 47th among all American colleges and universities in its 2010 publication of America ' s Best Colleges Campus . The campus covers a tract in Midtown , Memphis across from Overton Park and the Memphis Zoo . Often cited for its beauty , the campus design is notable for its stone Gothic architecture buildings , thirteen of which are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The original buildings , including Palmer Hall ( 1925 ) , Kennedy Hall ( 1925 ) , and Robb and White dormitories ( 1925 ) , were designed by Henry Hibbs in consultation with Charles Klauder , who designed many buildings at Princeton University , alma mater of college president Charles Diehl . Later buildings were designed by H . Clinton Parrent , a young associate of Hibbs who was present from the beginning . Parrent ' s buildings include the Catherine Burrow Refectory ( 1957 ) , which was an expansion of Hibbs ' original dining hall . Parrent also added Halliburton Tower ( 1962 ) to Palmer Hall . The bell tower was named in honor of explorer Richard Halliburton . The Paul Barret , Jr . Library holds a collection of Halliburton ' s papers . Rhodes maintains its Collegiate Gothic architecture . The latest example is the new Barret Library ( 2005 ) , designed by the firm of Hanbury Evans Wright and Vlattas . The campus was used as the setting of the movie Making the Grade . Students and faculty . Rhodes enrolls 1820 undergraduate students from 48 states , the District of Columbia , and 12 foreign countries . About 74 % are Caucasian , 7 % are African American , 5 % are Asia n , 3 % are Hispanic , 1 % are multi - racial , 4 % are international , and the ethnicity of about 5 % is unknown . Fifty - seven percent of students are female . The student - to - faculty ratio is 10 : 1 . Some of the approximately 30 majors include Economics and Business Administration , Biology , Political Science , English , and International Studies . Traditions and clubs . Rhodes is one of 62 colleges recently classified for both " Curricular Engagement " and " Outreach & Partnerships " in the " Community Engagement " category by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching . Approximately 80 % of Rhodes students participate in some form of community service by the time they graduate . The curriculum includes a requirement that students participate in activities that broaden the connection between classroom experiences and the outside world . The mission statement of the college also reinforces community engagement , aspiring to " graduate students with . . . a compassion for others and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world . " Central to the life of the college is its Honor Code , administered by students through the Honor Council . Every student is required to sign the Code , which reads , " " As a member of the Rhodes College community , I pledge my full and steadfast support to the Honor System and agree neither to lie , cheat , nor steal and to report any such violation that I may witness . " " Because of this , students enjoy a relationship of trust with their professors and benefits such as taking closed book final exams in the privacy of their own rooms . " Rites of Spring " is a three day music festival in early April . A major social event of the school year , it typically attracts several major bands from around the country . " Rites to Play " has in recent years brought elementary - school - age children to the campus . Rhodes students plan , organize , and execute a carnival for the children , who are sponsored by community agencies and schools that partner with Rhodes . Athletics . The college mascot is the lynx and the school colors are red and black . The athletic teams compete in the Southern Athletic Association in the NCAA ' s Division III . Men ' s sports include baseball , basketball , cross country , football , golf , lacrosse , soccer , swimming , tennis and track & field ; while women ' s sports include basketball , cross country , field hockey , golf , soccer , softball , swimming , tennis , track & field and volleyball . Rhodes has one athletic national championship to its credit , awarded to the 1961 baseball team . The " J . Hal Daughdrill Award " is given to the " Most Valuable Player " of the Lynx football team . The award honors James Harold Daughdrill , Sr . ( 1903 – 1986 ) , outstanding football player , athlete , business leader , and the father of Rhodes ' eighteenth President . The " Rebecca Rish Gay Award " and " Walter E . Gay Award " are given to the " Athletes of the Year " and are named after the parents of former President Daughdrill ’ s wife , Libby Daughdrill . Mock Trial . With four national championships and eight national final round appearances , Rhodes ' s undergraduate mock trial program is one of the most prestigious in the country . Founded in 1986 by Professor Marcus Pohlmann , Rhodes has qualified to the American Mock Trial Association ' s National Championship tournament every year since its inception , with twenty - seven top ten finishes and over seventy All - American attorney and witness awards . At the 2013 AMTA National Championship tournament in Washington , D . C . , Rhodes A earned the national runner - up spot while Rhodes B placed fifth in its division . The teams are currently ranked second and seventeenth in the nation , respectively . Buckman Hall houses a replica courtroom used by the teams for practicing . Every spring , Rhodes hosts one of the six AMTA Opening Round Championship tournaments in the Shelby County Courthouse in downtown Memphis . The program also hosts an informal invitational scrimmage tournament in Buckman Hall every autumn . Greek system . There are a number of social fraternities and sororities at Rhodes . Approximately 45 % of the students are members of Greek organizations . Fraternity and sorority lodges at Rhodes are not residential .