Rhodes Scholarship - wish I won one.

Established through the Will of Cecil John Rhodes of the diamond company De Beers in 1902, the Rhodes Scholarship was a very progressive project in the new century. 120+ years later, the Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most respected international scholarship programme anywhere, enabling talented young people around the world to undertake full-time postgraduate study at Oxford Uni.

Rhodes House, Oxford

built 1926

The reputation as the world's most famous academic scholarship rests not on the life of founder Cecil Rhodes, but on the enormous contributions scholarship-holders later made to the world. Thus the ideal personal and academic qualities (listed below) remain as important as ever. Not surprisingly, Oxford scored first in the Times Higher Education rankings each year from 2016-24 .

One of the founding aims of the Scholarship was to identify young leaders from around the world who, through being educated together at Oxford, would create long term links of mutual understanding and fellowship for the betterment of the world.

The following criteria were used to select Rhodes Scholars:
1.literary and scholastic excellence, intellectual distinction;
2.energy to fully use one's talents where teamwork is involved by mastery in areas like sports, music, debate, dance, theatre and arts;
3.courage, devotion to duty, protection of the weak, unselfishness and focus on public service; and
4.moral instincts to lead fellow humans.

When students from around the world came together in a shared spirit, the excitement began. The Rhodes Scholarship was a life-changing opportunity, starting when applications (aged only from 18-24) for each Rhodes Scholarship open early in each northern academic year. Today 100 scholarships a year cover all fees and a stipend for 2-3 years, with 300+ scholars in residence in Oxford at one time.

Each year, 9 Rhodes Scholarships are available for outstanding Australians to study at Oxford, each state offering one scholarship, awarded by a formal selection committee. Rhodes Scholars here have achieved distinction as politicians, academics, scientists and doctors, authors, entrepreneurs and Nobel Prize winners. Australia’s most famous winner was Howard Florey (1898-1968) received his medical training at the University of Adelaide and at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. This pharmacologist won a Nobel Prize for Physiology/Medicine in 1945 for isolating and purifying penicillin, shared with Alexander Fleming and German biochemist Ernst Boris Chain. Other Rhodes scholars became heads of state or heads of government, including Prime Ministers Tony Abbott, Bob Hawke and Malcolm Turnbull, and Deputy Prime Minister Kim Beazley.

Howard Florey

There is a yearly total of 32 Rhodes Scholarships for the U.S, covering the 50 states and its territories like American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. The Scholarships in the U.S are administered by 16 regional selection committees, each awarding 2 scholarships. Three scholars are elected from New Zealand each year; 8 Scholarships every year for South Africans; and 5 scholarships available yearly for India. In Canada 3 scholarships go to the Prairie Region; and 2 each to Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Israeli scholars have two scholarships available each year, but with one key difference. The maximum age for Israeli applicants is 27, to allow Israelis to finish their 3 years’ compulsory national service before starting university. In 1977, women were finally admitted to the full scholarship and since 2018 students from anywhere in the world can apply; the competition is now more vigorous!

Now for a more detailed look at a specific scholarship winner. After finishing San Mateo High School Cal in 1954, Kris Kristofferson (1936–2024) enrolled at Pomona College Cal, hoping to become a writer. He studied writing under Dr Frederick Sontag, who encouraged him to apply for a Rhodes scholarship. He graduated in 1958 and was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, allowing him to study British literature at Oxford earning a Masters. I am not surprised that he wrote stories and examined the works of William Blake. But I had no idea he began writing songs during his time in Oxford. At the same time he began his performing career and he was also awarded a University Blue for boxing and played rugby.

 

Australian prime ministers: Bob Hawke (left) and Malcolm Turnbull (right)

His studies may have demanded his total attention but Kris continued to play sports and pursue music, all while studying literature. Perhaps he read that the criteria which determined Rhodes Scholars included the mastery of areas such as sports and music.He graduated from Merton College Oxford, in 1960 and returned to the U.S. Followed in his father's footsteps, Kris served in the Army and eventually becoming a helicopter pilot and Captain. He graduated Airborne School, Ranger School and Flight Schools, served in Germany, and volunteered for Vietnam as a helicopter pilot, but instead was offered a Professor of English Literature position at USMA West Point. Disappointed that he was not allowed to fight in Vietnam, he resigned his position in 1965 and pursued songwriting. This surprised me since every male I knew in the last 1960s went into hiding, if they were conscripted into the Australian Army. In '65 Kris was commissioned to teach literature at West Point but ended up choosing Nashville, to pursue a music career instead. He got a janitor job in Nashville studios where he met Johnny Cash, who initially took some of his songs. So I know a lot of the music where Kristofferson changed the face of Country Music back then eg

Me and Bobby McGee (1970)
(Written by Kristofferson and sung by Janis Joplin)

Freedom is just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free, no-no
And feelin' good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues

You know feelin' good was good enough for me
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.