# what is a rhodes Scholar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070 "2003-09-11T23:07:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/1 "2003-09-11T23:07:33Z")
i hear the term used but i don’t know what it actually means. the research i’ve found says it may be an educational scholarship to oxford but i fail to see why that would be important or what distinguishes it from other scholarships. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/2 "2003-09-11T23:10:15Z")
I’m not all that sure myself, but what I do know is that it was fund set up by Sir Cecil Rhodes to allow American students to win a scholarship to Oxford University. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/3 "2003-09-11T23:10:35Z")
> **[Office of the American Secretary | The Rhodes Scholarships](https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/office-of-the-american-secretary/)** > > Office of the American Secretary ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/4 "2003-09-11T23:34:13Z")
When I was a kid, I though the phrase was “road scholar”. I imagined a student hitch-hiking across the country. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/5 "2003-09-11T23:59:02Z")
Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar. I guess common sence wasn’t part of the curriculum. …sorry… ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/6 "2003-09-12T00:19:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ltfire \* > \*\*Bill Clinton was a Rhodes scholar. > I guess common sence wasn’t part of the curriculum. > > …sorry… \*\* Your attempted insult/putdown loses what little effect it might have had due to your inability to correctly spell commonly used words. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/7 "2003-09-12T00:29:10Z")
Kris Kristofferson was another person you might find an unlikely Rhodes scholar, but he was. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/8 "2003-09-12T01:06:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*When I was a kid, I though the phrase was “road scholar”. I imagined a student hitch-hiking across the country. \*\* i used to think it was ‘rogue scholar’ and meant someone was an independent researcher willing to buck the status quo. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/9 "2003-09-12T01:25:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon’s Squishiness \* > \*\*Your attempted insult/putdown loses what little effect it might have had due to your inability to correctly spell commonly used words. \*\* correction: SENSE Thanks, spelling nazi.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/10 "2003-09-12T01:32:21Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board, General Clark. I hope you declare your candidacy soon. I want to vote for you. ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/11 "2003-09-12T01:33:29Z")
Rhodes scholarship were established by the last will of Cecil Rhodes, the diamond magnate for whom Zimbabwe was formerly named. That is, he was the source of the name “Rhodesia”. His previous wills–I believe there were six of them–had left money for efforts to get the United States into the British Empire. Originally the scholarships were open only to white males. The “big deal” about a Rhodes Scholarship is their prestige. They are widely regarded as an award for the most elite collegians. The competition is extremely demanding, and to win one a person must not only be an outstanding student, but demonstrate that they are, overall, outstandingly talented and disciplined. Famous recipients include Bill Bradley and Paul Robeson. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/12 "2003-09-12T01:55:16Z")
Rhodes Scholars are American, Canadian and South African students who come to Oxford for a year, fark around, and do absolutely nothing academic-wise. Meanwhile, they are coddled by the establishment, get taken to expensive parties, and generally get treated like gold. Meanwhile, those of us American, Canadian and South African students who come to Oxford to, you know, do an actual degree, find it next to impossible to take out student loans, get scholarships, or work for a living, and so essentially live from pot noodle to pot noodle. And then we get spat on by the rest of the Oxford student body because of the egregious behavior of the Rhodes lot. And, before you ask, I am not bitter. AT ALL. So there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/13 "2003-09-12T02:40:21Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by MC Master of Ceremonies_ > **I’m not all that sure myself, but what I do know is that it was fund set up by Sir Cecil Rhodes to allow American students to win a scholarship to Oxford University.** > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duke \* > **Rhodes Scholars are American, Canadian and South African students who come to Oxford for a year, fark around, and do absolutely nothing academic-wise.** Not to mention students from, uhh, other parts of the world. Such as those little-known backwaters Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, India, Jamaica, the Commonwealth Caribbean, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore and Zimbabwe. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/14 "2003-09-12T03:31:54Z")
You’re right, **Narrad** , I forgot Zimbabwe. 😃 But it was only the American, Canadian, and South African Rhodes scholars who seemed to cause all the problems. The Australians were greeted with open arms–who else was going to fill the spots in the Blues cricket and rugby sides? ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/15 "2003-09-12T04:13:03Z")
Point taken. 😉 Of course, one of the criterion for winning a Rhodes is prowess on the sporting field (I think Sir Rhodes himself limited this to the “manly sports”, which I take to mean rugby and cricket.) (A lack of sporting ability obviously isn’t fatal to one’s chances, however; a guy from my graduating law school class last year won a Rhodes Scholarship – and he’s confined to a wheelchair.) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/16 "2003-09-12T05:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Narrad \* > \*\*(A lack of sporting ability obviously isn’t fatal to one’s chances, however; a guy from my graduating law school class last year won a Rhodes Scholarship – and he’s confined to a wheelchair.) \*\* What? This doesn’t follow at all. There are lots of people with “sporting ability” confined to wheelchairs. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-rhodes-scholar/201070/17 "2003-09-12T07:11:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AndrewT \* > \*\*What? This doesn’t follow at all. There are lots of people with “sporting ability” confined to wheelchairs. \*\* Sorry, I should have elaborated. The man in question doesn’t engage in sport. You’re right, though; it doesn’t follow. There are plenty of sports open to people in wheelchairs. My intention, however, was to juxtapose “the manly sports” with an example of someone who obviously doesn’t participate in (able-bodied) rugby and cricket.