Rhodes Scholarships

Hutchinson, Kansas
From the Secretary of the :
Committee of Selection for 601 Wolcott Bldg.

Kansas Noveanber 5, 1958

 

 

Referring to the application of .. Plaine E. Grimes

 

Dear Sir:

The man whose name is given above is a candidate for a Rhodes Scholarship before our Com-
mittee of Selection this year. I should be grateful if you would send me a frank and confidential
statement regarding his qualifications. Your prompt compliance with this request will be of great
assistance to the applicant and will be deeply appreciated by the Committee of Selection.

The basis of selection by the Committee is that section of the Will of Mr. Rhodes in which
he mentioned the four groups of qualities which he desired in his scholars, the first two of which he
considered the most important: (1) Literary and scholastic ability and attainments; (2) Qualities
of manhood, truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for and protection of the weak, kindliness,
unselfishness and fellowship; (3) Exhibition during school days of moral force of character and of
instincts to lead and to take an interest in his schoolmates; (4) Fondness for and success in manly
outdoor sports such as cricket, football and the like.

The selection is not made, however, on any system of averaging up a man’s qualifications under
all these heads. Committees are interested instead in men who show promise of outstanding achieve-
ment in later life in their particular callings. For this, distinction of intellect and character are the
most important requirements and the Committee will be particularly interested in your critical
estimate of the candidate on these points. You will naturally want to confine your remarks to
those points on which you can write from personal contact, as it is not expected that each individual
should be able to speak about the candidate's qualifications under all these heads. It would be
useful to the Committee if you could mention the names of additional persons who know the
candidate well and are qualified to give an opinion of him on the basis of first-hand information.

Please do not hesitate to speak of the candidate's limitations as well as his strong points.
Committees tend naturally to be dubious of recommendations which imply that a given individual
has no limitations whatever.

As preliminary consideration of the candidate will take place early in December, your letter
will be of most value if received by that time, and I should be grateful if you will reply at your
earliest convenience. Your letter will be treated as strictly confidential and will be read only by
those whose duty it is to pass upon the qualifications of the candidate.

Yours very truly,

Br. Fy Gs
Tox? Allen... Wm, D. P. Carey

801 Louisiana
SECRETARY -OF THE COMMITTEE OF SELECTION

Lawrence, Kansas.