No Rhodes Scholars chosen here; Princeton still leading total

December 13, 1948 — For the first time in what Dr. Frank Aydelotte, former director of the Institute for Advanced Study, estimated to be 10 or 15 years, excluding the war years, Princeton failed to place a man on the list of Rhodes Scholarships. Though none of the more than 30 Princetonians who applied were accepted this year, Princeton still leads all other American institutions in total number of Rhodes Scholars. Since the scholarships were initiated in 1904 according to the will of Cecil Rhodes, 72 Princeton men have been chosen. The next two places are held by Harvard, with 54, and Yale, with 50.

This year's competition toughest

The competition this year was the keenest it has ever been, according to Aydelotte, who is American Secretary to the Rhodes Trustees. Nearly 700 men from 230 colleges and universities applied for the 32 appointments, or almost 22 for each vacancy. However, there were 749 applications for 48 positions in 1947, when six Princeton men were accepted. Two years ago, Princeton sent five men to Oxford via Rhodes Scholarships.

The 400-pound annual income of the scholarships, which must be used at the University of Oxford, has been temporarily increased to 500 pounds, approximately $2,000. Though the appointment is ordinarily for two years, it may be extended to three if the scholar's academic record and plans warrant it. Three qualities are considered in selecting scholars: scholarship, character and physical vigor. A candidate's application must be accepted by his college or university and a state committee before it is submitted to one of the eight district committees, each of which makes the final selections for its district of four states. The choices still have to be ratified by the Rhodes Trustees.

This year, for the third and last time, two kinds of Rhodes Scholarships are being awarded. To be eligible for a regular appointment, a candidate must be between the ages of 19 and 25, must be unmarried and must have had a minimum of two years of college work. Qualification for War Service candidates are somewhat more lenient. More than half of the applications in 1948 were for War Service scholarships and another 199 were eligible in both categories.