Rhodes House in Oxford, designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil John Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford.^[1] It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships,^[2] and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as Time,^[3] Yale University Press,^[4] The McGill Reporter,^[5] and Associated Press.^[6]

Rhodes Scholars may study any full-time postgraduate course offered by the University,^[7] whether a taught Master’s programme, a research degree, or a second undergraduate degree (senior status). In the first instance, the scholarship is awarded for two years. However, it may also be held for one year or three years. Applications for a third year are considered during the course of the second year.

University and College fees are paid by the Rhodes Trust. In addition, Scholars receive a monthly maintenance stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses.^[8][9] Although all scholars become affiliated with a residential college while at Oxford, they also enjoy access to Rhodes House, an early 20th century mansion with numerous public rooms, gardens, a library, study areas, and other facilities.

"For more than a century, Rhodes scholars have left Oxford with virtually any job available to them. For much of this time, they have overwhelmingly chosen paths in scholarship, teaching, writing, medicine, scientific research, law, the military and public service. They have reached the highest levels in virtually all fields."^[10]

History[link]

Known as the "world's oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship",^[11] the Rhodes Scholarships are administered and awarded by the Rhodes Trust, which was established in 1902 under the terms and conditions of the will of Cecil John Rhodes, and funded by his estate under the administration of Nathan Rothschild.^[12] Scholarships have been awarded to applicants annually since 1902 on the basis of academic achievement and strength of character. There have been more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars since the inception of the Trust. More than 4,000 are still living.^[13]

In 1925, the Commonwealth Fund Fellowships (later renamed the Harkness Fellowships) were established to reciprocate the Rhodes Scholarships by enabling British graduates to study in the United States.^[14] The Kennedy Scholarship program, created in 1966 as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, adopts a comparable selection process to the Rhodes Scholarships to allow 10 British post-graduate students per year to study at either Harvard or MIT.^[15][16]

Standards[link]

Rhodes' legacy specified four standards by which applicants were to be judged:

• Literary and scholastic attainments;
• Energy to use one's talents to the fullest, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports;
• Truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship;
• Moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.

This legacy originally provided for scholarships for the British colonies, the United States, and Germany. These three were chosen because it was thought that " ... a good understanding between England, Germany and the United States of America will secure the peace of the world ... "^[12]

Rhodes, who attended Oxford University (as a member of Oriel College), chose his alma mater as the site of his great experiment because he believed its residential colleges provided the ideal environment for intellectual contemplation and personal development.

Rhodes' original aim with the Scholarship and subsequent changes[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2009)

An early change was the elimination of the scholarships for Germany during World Wars I and II. No German scholars were chosen from 1914 to 1929, nor from 1940 to 1969.^[17]

Rhodes' bequest was whittled down considerably in the first decades after his death, as various scholarship trustees were forced to pay taxes upon their own deaths. A change occurred in 1929, when an Act of Parliament established a fund separate from the original proceeds of Rhodes' will and made it possible to expand the number of scholarships. Between 1993 and 1995, scholarships were extended to other countries in the European Community.

Because the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 in the United Kingdom did not affect wills, it took another Act of Parliament to change the Rhodes' will to extend selection criteria in 1977 to include women.

For at least its first 75 years, scholars usually studied for a Bachelor of Arts degree. While that remains an option, more recent scholars usually study for an advanced degree.

Allocations[link]

There were originally 52 scholarships.^[12][17]

Four South African boys' schools were mentioned in Rhodes' will, each to receive an annual scholarship: the Boys High School, in Stellenbosch (today known as Paul Roos Gymnasium); the Diocesan College (Bishops) in Rondebosch; the South African College Schools (SACS) in Newlands; and St Andrew's College in Grahamstown.

During the ensuing 100 years, the Trustees added at one time or another approximately another 40 scholarships, though not all have continued. Some of these extended the scheme to Commonwealth countries not mentioned in the Will.^[13] A more detailed allocation by region by year can be found at Rhodes Scholarship Allocations. Very brief summaries of some of the terms and conditions can be found on the Trust's web site.^[34][35] Complete details can be obtained from the nominating countries.^[36]

Currently, scholars are selected from citizens of 14 specified geographic constituencies,^[37][38] namely: Australia; Bermuda; Canada; Germany; Hong Kong; India; Jamaica & Commonwealth Caribbean; Kenya; New Zealand; Pakistan; Southern Africa (South Africa and neighbours Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland); USA; Zambia; and Zimbabwe.

From 2006, 11 scholarships were suspended for a period of 5 years.^{[why?][citation needed]} The scholarships for Hong Kong were abolished in July 1997 following its withdrawal from the Commonwealth (due to the transfer of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China), although a Commonwealth country Sri Lanka has not been granted scholarships since 1974, even though scholarships were granted to Ceylon.^[39][40] However, with the benefaction from the Lee Hysan Foundation (described by the Rhodes Trust as "substantial and generous"^{[citation needed]}), the Rhodes Scholarships for Hong Kong were reintroduced in late 2006.^[41] Since 1998 Rhodes Scholarships have been granted to Bangladesh.

Notable Rhodes Scholars[link]

See also: Rhodes scholars category

Centenary degrees[link]

In recognition of the centenary of the foundation of the Rhodes Trust in 2003, four scholars were awarded honorary degrees by the University of Oxford:

• John Brademas (Indiana & Brasenose 1950), President of New York University, U.S. Congressman (Indiana), 1959–1981
• Robert J. L. (Bob) Hawke (Western Australia & University 1953), Prime Minister of Australia, 1983–1991
• Rex Nettleford (Jamaica & Oriel 1957), Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, author, dance director
• David R. Woods (Rhodes & University 1963), Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University

References and notes[link]

In the Oxford University Calendar,^[42] the Greek letter rho (ρ) against a name indicates that the person is a former Rhodes Scholar. This symbol should precede the name.^[43]

Further reading[link]

• Rotberg, R. I. (1988), The Founder: Cecil Rhodes and the Pursuit of Power, New York: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-504968-3 .
• Kenny, Anthony, ed. (2001), The History of the Rhodes Trust, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-920191-9 .
• Ziegler, Philip (2008), Legacy: Cecil Rhodes, the Rhodes Trust and Rhodes Scholarships, Yale: Yale University Press, ISBN 978-0-300-11835-3 .

External links[link]

• The Rhodes Trust (UK)
  • History of Rhodes Trust and Rhodes Scholarship
  • Scholarship and application information
• Updates on Rhodes Alumni
• The Rhodes Trust, USA
• The Rhodes Project: The first in-depth study of Rhodes women

Myron Rolle (born October 30, 1986 in Houston, Texas) is an American football safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans, who valued his athleticism and intellect, in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State. He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and studied at St. Edmund Hall,^[1] Oxford University for the 2009–10 academic year in order to earn an MSc in Medical Anthropology.^[2] He was recently chosen as the second smartest professional athlete by the Sporting News.^[3]

Early years[link]

Rolle was raised in Galloway, New Jersey where in 2009, December 10 was decreed "Myron Rolle Day" in his hometown. He attended middle school at Galloway Township Middle School. He first attended The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey where he played the saxophone in the school band, sang in a school play, and was the sports editor of the school newspaper. He then transferred to the Hun School of Princeton and played high school football under head coach Dave Dudeck, where he was an All-American and made 112 tackles including 14 for loss. ESPN's recruiting services ranked Rolle as the number one high school prospect in the country.^[4] Rivals.com rated him the 12th-best player and the top athlete overall, as well as the best player from New Jersey in the 2006 recruiting class.^[5] In 2006, after a nation-wide search Rolle won the prestigious annually awarded Franklin D. Watkins Memorial Trophy, the premier African-American scholar/athlete award in America for high school males.^[6]

College career[link]

Aspiring to both the National Football League and medical school, Rolle played as a safety at FSU, completed all necessary pre-medical requirements, and earned his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science in just 2.5 years with a 3.75 grade point average.^[7] Rolle helped the Florida State Seminoles win on the field, and, off the field, he won a Rhodes Scholarship. He postponed playing in the NFL for a year in order to study at Oxford University.^[8][9][10]

In 2008, he earned Associated Press 3rd team All-American honors as well as Football Writers Association America 2nd team All-ACC and CoSIDA Academic All-America. In the 2008 season game versus the University of Miami Hurricanes, Seminoles defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews remarked that Rolle played the best and most complete game he has ever seen a safety play at Florida State University in his 25 years of coaching. Rolle had 4 tackles (2 touchdown saving tackles), 1 tackle for loss, 4 pass breakups, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries and 3 critical 3rd down stops.^{[citation needed]}

Rolle was named a finalist for one of the 32 Rhodes Scholarships awarded to Americans each year.^[11] His interview for the scholarship was originally scheduled at the same time as Florida State was to play at Maryland, in which Florida State defeated Maryland 37-3. The NCAA decided to allow Rolle to take a chartered plane from his interview in Birmingham, Alabama to College Park.^[9] He was awarded the scholarship less than three hours before the Florida State vs. Maryland game. He became the fourth Florida State student and second school athlete to receive the honor, as well as the only FSU football player to do so.^[12][13] Rolle announced on January 12, 2009, that he would first study at Oxford University for the 2009–10 academic year in order to earn an M.Sc. in medical anthropology and would then enter the 2010 NFL Draft.^[2] He was a member of St Edmund Hall, commonly known as "Teddy Hall," at Oxford, living in college accommodation at Norham Gardens.^[14]

Professional career[link]

Pre-draft[link]

Tennessee Titans[link]

Rolle was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round (207th overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract on June 14, 2010.^[16] However, the Tennessee Titans released him a year later on September 2, 2011.

Pittsburgh Steelers[link]

On January 31, 2012, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Rolle to a reserve/future contract.

Personal[link]

Rolle is of Bahamian descent. He was born to Beverly and Whitney Rolle of The Bahamas.^[17] His family members, including parents and three of his older brothers, Marchant, Marvis, Mordecai, McKinley (NJ) hail from Nassau, Bahamas. He is very proud of his Bahamian heritage and has plan to open The Myron L. Rolle Medical Clinic and Sports Complex a free health services clinic in Steventon, Exuma, in The Bahamas. .^[18] Rolle is the founder of 'Our Way to Health' - an educational childhood anti-obesity program for Native Americans currently operating in the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Pueblo, Hopi and Navajo Indians. Rolle, in conjunction with Florida Secretary of Children and Family Services, George Sheldon, runs a week long Myron Rolle Wellness and Leadership Academy for Foster Care children in the State of Florida. In 2011, Rolle, along with 2006 Rhodes Scholar Garrett Johnson, created the "Emerging Scholars Project" - a program to help underrepresented college students become viable candidates for national fellowship opportunities. Rolle has been awarded days in Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, Florida as well as Keys to the City of Lafayette, Louisiana and Sarasota, Florida. In 2011, Rolle joined the Board of Trustees at Hampden-Sydney College. Rolle is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Florida State Seminoles football bio
• Titans bio

Randal Pinkett
Born	1971 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Rutgers University (BS) University of Oxford (MSc) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SM, MBA, PhD)
Occupation	Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a business consultancy firm[1]
Known for	Winning season four of The Apprentice reality TV show
Home town	Somerset, New Jersey
Spouse	Zahara
Children	Amira Leslie Pinkett (born 2007)
Website
RandalPinkett.com

Randal D. Pinkett (born 1971 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a business consultant who in 2005 was the winner of season four of the reality television show, The Apprentice. Pinkett was the first African American to win the US version of The Apprentice.

With an educational background in engineering and business, Pinkett is both a Rhodes Scholar and a Walter Byers Scholar, holding five academic degrees. Before entering the reality show, Pinkett had already established a career in business, and had become co-founder of business consulting firm BCT Partners in 2001. As winner of the fourth season in December 2005, Pinkett undertook a year long apprenticeship with Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

After The Apprentice, Pinkett has continued as chairman and CEO of the BCT consultancy, while also acting as a public speaker and appearing on later editions of the show, and on CEO Exchange, and also entering politics.

Author[link]

Pinkett is the author of three books including Campus CEO: The Student Entrepreneur's Guide to Launching a Multimillion-Dollar Business (Kaplan Business 2007), No-Money Down CEO: How to Start Your Dream Business with Little or No Cash (Trump University 2008), and Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness (AMACOM Books 2010) with his college roommate and business partner, Professor Jeffrey Robinson of the Rutgers Business School.

Education[link]

Pinkett graduated from Hightstown High School in Hightstown, New Jersey.^[2] Pinkett attended Rutgers University from 1989 to 1994, graduating summa cum laude^[3] with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering.^[4][5] Pinkett is the first African American from Rutgers to become a Rhodes Scholar.^[3] Pinkett went on to attend the University of Oxford from 1994 to 1996, earning a Master of Science in computer science.^[4][5] He then attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1996 to 1998, graduating with a second Master of Science, this time in electrical engineering, and a Master of Business Administration from the MIT Sloan School of Management.^[4][5] He continued his education at MIT, earning a Doctor of Philosophy in media arts and sciences from the MIT Media Laboratory in 2001.^[4] Pinkett's PhD thesis was titled "Creating Community Connections: Sociocultural Constructionism and an Asset-Based Approach to Community Technology and Community Building."^[4]

[edit] The Apprentice

In 2005, a 34-year old Pinkett along with 17 other contestants entered the fourth series of The Apprentice. His wife had downloaded the application form, planting the idea of auditioning for the show in his mind.^[6] The Apprentice is a reality television series which premiered in January 2004, in which American entrepreneur Donald Trump uses a series of tasks and a process of elimination to ultimately select one candidate for a year long apprenticeship with one of his companies. The fourth season began filming in May 2005, and was aired from September 2005, with the finale airing in two-parts on the Thursday night of December 8 and 15. Pinkett reached the finale with one other contestant, 23 year old financial journalist Rebecca Jarvis. Pinkett was to organise a celebrity ball-game for Autism Speaks, while Jarvis' task was to stage a comedy night in aid of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Despite the game being rained off, Pinkett raised nearly $11,000.^[7]

In the final judgement, Pinkett was criticised by Trump for not spotlighting the celebrities in attendance at his event, and by Trump's advisor Carolyn Kepcher for not having a backup plan when the weather turned. Despite this, Pinkett was chosen by Trump as the winner, describing Pinkett as an "amazing leader" and saying "Rarely have I seen a leader as good as you, and you lead through niceness".^[7] Moments after the announcement, Trump asked Pinkett his opinion as to whether he should take the unprecedented step and also hire the "outstanding" Jarvis too. In his reply, Pinkett asserted that there could only be one winner of the contest, a view which Trump chose to agree with.^[7] This stance attracted much comment after the show, with Pinkett later defending his rationale, but making it clear he had no objection to Jarvis being hired by the Trump organization at a later date.^[8] The reactions had taken Pinkett by surprise, but he later stated he remained on good terms with Jarvis.^[6]

Pinkett was to start his apprenticeship on February 6, 2006.^[6] His task was to oversee the $110m renovation of the Taj Mahal, the Plaza and the Marina, three casino resorts operated by Trump Entertainment Resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey.^[6]

Politics[link]

In 2006-07, Pinkett served as a co-chairman of the transition team of newly elected Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker.^[9]

On July 14, 2009 it was reported by a number of sources that Pinkett had emerged as the frontrunner to be New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's selection for lieutenant governor in the 2009 Gubernatorial election. Some reports indicated an announcement would be made on Thursday, July 16.^[10][11][12] However, no announcement took place, and criticism appeared in the media and from some political leaders regarding Corzine's potential selection of a running mate with no experience in public office.^[9] Later in the week, news reports indicated Pinkett's selection was less likely and that other front runners had emerged,^[13] due at least in part to public criticism of the idea of a political newcomer as the Governor's running mate.^[14] On July 24, Corzine selected State Senator Loretta Weinberg.^[15] Currently, Pinkett is the chair of the State Democratic Committee's Yes We Can 2.0; its name based on Barack Obama's campaign slogan, it seeks to turn out newly-registered voters from the 2008 presidential election for the gubernatorial election.^[16]

Personal life[link]

According to his website, he was also an academic All-American at Rutgers. Pinkett was named a member of the 1993 USA TODAY All-USA Academic Team. While at Rutgers, Pinkett was a member of the Cap and Skull organization. He has also served as President of MEET, the Rutgers Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers, and was the captain of the Rutgers varsity men's track and field team, competing both as a high jumper and long jumper. He was the 1994 male Walter Byers Scholarship winner as the NCAA's top scholar athlete.^[17] Pinkett is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.^[18]

In 2006, Pinkett was given the Paul Robeson Leadership Award by Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts.^[19]

On August 8, 2007, Pinkett's wife, Zahara, gave birth to daughter Amira Leslie in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The Pinkett family resides in Somerset, New Jersey.^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• BCT Partners
• Randal Pinkett at the Internet Movie Database
• The Apprentice Rules Randal Pinkett Bio

Jonah Lehrer talking at Pop!Tech, 2009

Jonah Lehrer (born June 25, 1981) is an American author and journalist who writes on the topics of psychology, neuroscience, and the relationship between science and the humanities. He has published three books. Simon Ings has written, "Lehrer fancies himself – and not without reason – as a sort of one-man third culture, healing the rift between sciences and humanities by communicating and contrasting their values in a way that renders them comprehensible to partisans of either camp."^[1]

Life[link]

Lehrer graduated from Columbia University in 2003 with a major in neuroscience; while an undergraduate, he examined the biological process of memory in Professor Eric Kandel's Lab.^[2] He was also editor of the Columbia Review for two years.^[2] He then studied 20th century literature and philosophy at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.^[3] He is a contributing editor at Wired, Scientific American Mind, National Public Radio's Radiolab, and has written for The New Yorker, Nature, Seed, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe.^[4] Jonah Lehrer is also featured in brief informational sessions on the television show "Brink", on the science channel. He currently writes the "Head Case" column for The Wall Street Journal.

Books[link]

Jonah Lehrer is the author of three books: Proust Was a Neuroscientist (2007), How We Decide (2009), and Imagine: How Creativity Works (2012).

Proust Was a Neuroscientist was Lehrer's debut book; it is a collection of biographical essays on creative figures such as Paul Cezanne, Walt Whitman, Auguste Escoffier, and Marcel Proust.^[5] Lehrer argues for an intimate relationship with science and the humanities, and he holds that many discoveries of neuroscience are actually rediscoveries of insights made much earlier by various artists.^[1]

In How We Decide, Lehrer argues there are two main parts of the brain involved in decision-making, the rational and the emotional.^[6] His thesis has been called into question based on current understanding of neuroscience.^[7] On 5 February 2009, he appeared on The Colbert Report to discuss the book.^[8] Lehrer appeared a second time on 17 April 2012 to promote his newest book "Imagine: How Creativity works".

See also[link]

• Multiple discovery

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jonah Lehrer

• Lehrer's website: "about/contact:Jonah Lehrer". http://www.jonahlehrer.com/about. 
• The Frontal Cortex Wired.com blog
• The Frontal Cortex (Archive)
• "Authors@google:Jonah Lehrer". June 11, 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0InoDh5Nuc.  Videorecording of Jonah Lehrer's lecture at Google's Cambridge, MA office. Lehrer discusses his book Proust Was a Neuroscientist (2007).
• "Jonah Lehrer, Proust, and the Brain," 2008 interview by Andrea Hiott, Pulse Magazine Berlin
• 2012 radio interview (53 minutes) at The Bat Segundo Show

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