Mr. Choate to Mr. Hay.

No. 883.]

Sir: I have the honor to report that I have received from the trustees, under the will of the right honorable Cecil John Rhodes, and herewith transmit a printed extract from his will relating to the scholarships to be established from the States and Territories of the United States, accompanied by a letter from Mr. Hawksley, one of the trustees, of which I inclose a copy.

[Page 533]

By this it appears that the trustees are desirous of making regulations with regard to the method by which qualifications of candidates are to be ascertained, and as to the examinations, and have asked me to bring the matter to the notice of the Government of the United States, and to request on their behalf that the views of the chief officials having the control of education in the various States and Territories may be ascertained and communicated to the trustees. This is as suggested by Mr. Rhodes. How far the Government of the United States can act in the matter, except as to the Territories concerned, I am not sure, as it seems to pertain to the States individually; but as it is a matter of first-rate importance to the whole country, I think you may find a way to communicate with the governors of the several States and ascertain and transmit to the trustees their views and those of the chief officials having control of education. I will my self transmit copies of the “extract” to the presidents of the leading universities named in the letter, as requested by Mr. Hawksley.

You will observe that it is the hope of the trustees that the students can be elected in time to go into residence in Oxford in 1903, so that it is desirable that the matter should be promptly laid before the officials referred to, and if you think that it is not for you to act in any way as to the States, but that the trustees should apply directly to eacn of them, I shall be obliged if you will promptly advise me.

The trustees naturally desire to act in the light of the best advice which they can get from the communities particularly concerned, and from the best authorities upon the subject of education.

I have, etc.,

Joseph H. Choate.
[Inclosure.]

Mr. Hawksley to Mr. Choate.

Dear Sir: At the request of my colleagues, trustees of the will of the late Mr. C. J. Rhodes, I send you an extract from his testamentary dispositions relating to scholarships to be established for students from certain colonies and from the United States of America.

Your excellency will note the qualifications which Mr. Rhodes desired should be sought for in the candidates, and his suggestion that before election the trustees should consult with the ministers having the control of education in the various colonies, States, or Territories to which his dispositions apply.

The trustees are desirous of making regulations with regard to the method by which qualifications of candidates are to be ascertained and as to the examinations.

They will therefore be obliged if you will be so good as to bring the scholarship provisions of Mr. Rhodes’s will to the notice of your Government, with a request on their behalf that the views of the chief officials having the control of education in the various States and Territories of the Union may be ascertained and communicated to the trustees.

It would further be of great assistance to the trustees if they could be furnished through your kindness with the opinion of the leading educational authorities in the United States, especially the heads of Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and other universities, with regard generally to the election of qualifying students and the best mode of giving practical effect to the scholarship trust.

It is hoped that the students can be elected in time to go into residence at Oxford in 1903.

I am, etc.,

Bourchier F. Hawksley.
[Page 534]
[Subinclosure.]

The Right Honorable Cecil John Rhodes.

The following are the provisions in the testamentary dispositions of the late Mr. Rhodes relating to the establishment of scholarships at Oxford for students from the colonies and the United States of North America:

“Whereas I consider that the education of young colonists at one of the universities in the United Kingdom is of great advantage to them for giving breadth to their views, for their instruction in life and manners, and for instilling into their minds the advantage to the colonies as well as to the United Kingdom of the retention of the unity of the Empire; and

“Whereas in the case of young colonists studying at a university in the United Kingdom I attach very great importance to the university having a residential system, such as is in force at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge; for without it those students are at the most critical period of their lives left without any supervision; and

“Whereas there are at the present time fifty or more students from South Africa studying at the University of Edinburgh, many of whom are attracted there by its excellent medical school, and I should like to establish some of the scholarships hereinafter mentioned in that university, but owing to its not having such a residential system as aforesaid I feel obliged to refrain from doing so; and

“Whereas my own university, the University of Oxford, has such a system, and I suggest that it should try and extend its scope so as if possible to make its medical school at least as good as that at the University of Edinburgh; and

“Whereas I also desire to encourage and foster an appreciation of the advantages which I implicitly believe will result from the union of the English speaking people throughout the world and to encourage in the students from the United States of North America who will benefit from the American scholarships to be established for the reason above given at the University of Oxford under this my will an attachment to the country from which they have sprung, but without, I hope, withdrawing them or their sympathies from the land of their adoption or birth.

“Now, therefore, I direct my trustees as soon as maybe after my death and either simultaneously or gradually as they shall find convenient, and if gradually, then in such order as they shall think fit, to establish for male students the scholarships hereinafter directed to be established, each of which shall be of the yearly value of £300 and be tenable at any college in the University of Oxford for three consecutive academical years.

“I direct my trustees to establish certain scholarships and these scholarships I sometimes hereinafter refer to as the colonial scholarships.’

“The appropriation of the colonial scholarships and the numbers to be annually filled up shall be in accordance with the following table:

Total number appropriated. To be tenable by students of or from— Number of scholarships to be filled up in each year.
9 Rhodesia 3 and no more.
3 The South African College School in the colony of the Cape of Good Hope 1 and no more.
3 The Stellenbosch College School, in the same colony Do.
3 The Diocesan College School of Rondebosch, in the same colony Do.
3 St. Andrews College School, Grahamstown Do.
3 The colony of Natal, in the same colony Do.
3 The colony of New South Wales Do.
3 The colony of Victoria Do.
3 The colony of South Australia Do.
3 The colony of Queensland Do.
3 The colony of Western Australia Do.
3 The colony of Tasmania Do.
3 The colony of New Zealand Do.
3 The Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada Do.
3 The Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada Do.
3 The colony or island of Newfoundland and its dependencies Do.
3 The colony or islands of the Bermudas Do.
3 The colony or island of Jamaica Do.

“I further direct my trustees to establish additional scholarships sufficient in number for the appropriation in the next following clause hereof directed, and those scholarships I sometimes hereinafter refer to as ‘the American scholarships.’

[Page 535]

“I appropriate two of the American scholarships to each of the present States and Territories of the United States of North America, provided that if any of the said Territories shall in my lifetime be admitted as a State the scholarships appropriated to such Territory shall be appropriated to such State, and that my trustees may in their uncontrolled discretion withhold for such time as they shall think fit the appropriation of scholarships to any Territory.

“I direct that of the two scholarships appropriated to a State or Territory not more than one shall be filled up in any year, so that at no time shall more than two scholarships be held for the same State or Territory.

“The scholarships shall be paid only out of income, and in event at any time of income being insufficient for payment in full of all the scholarships for the time being payable I direct that (without prejudice to the vested interests of holders for the time being of scholarships) the following order of priority shall regulate the payment of the scholarships:

  • “(I) First, the scholarships of students of or from Rhodesia shall be paid;
  • “(II) Secondly, the scholarships of students from the said South African Stellenboseh Rondebosch and St. Andrews schools shall be paid;
  • “(III) Thirdly, the remainder of the colonial scholarships shall be paid, and if there shall not be sufficient income for the purpose such scholarships shall abate proportionately; and
  • “(IV) Fourthly, the American scholarships shall be paid, and if there shall not be sufficient income for the purpose such scholarships shall abate proportionately.

“My desire being that the students who shall be elected to the scholarships shall not be merely bookworms, I direct that in the election of a student to a scholarship regard shall be had to (I) his literary and scholastic attainments; (II) his fondness of and success in manly outdoor sports, such as cricket, football, and the like; (III) his qualities of manhood, truth, courage, devotion to duty, sympathy for the protection of the weak, kindliness, unselfishness, and fellowship, and (IV) his exhibition during school days of moral force of character and of instincts to lead and to take an interest in his schoolmates, for those latter attributes will be likely in after life to guide him to esteem the performance of public duties as his highest aim. As mere suggestions for the guidance of those who will have the choice of students for the scholarships, I record that (I) my ideal qualified student would combine these four qualifications in the proportions of three-tenths for the first, two-tenths for the second, three-tenths for the third, and two-tenths for the fourth qualification, so that according to my ideas if the maximum number of marks for any scholarship were 200 they would be apportioned as follows: Sixty to each of the first and third qualifications, and 40 to each of the second and fourth qualifications. (II) The marks for the several qualifications would be awarded independently, as follows (that is to say): The marks for the first qualification by examination, for the second and third qualifications, respectively, by ballot by the fellow-students of the candidates, and for the fourth qualification by the head master of the candidate’s school, and (III) the results of the awards (that is to say the marks obtained by each candidate for each qualification) would be sent as soon as possible for consideration to the trustees or to some person or persons appointed to receive the same, and the person or persons so appointed would ascertain by averaging the marks in blocks of 20 marks each of all candidates the best ideal qualified students.

“No student shall be qualified or disqualified for election to a scholarship on account of his race or religious opinions.

“Except in the cases of the four schools hereinbefore mentioned, the election to scholarships shall be by the trustees after such (if any) consultation as they shall think fit with the minister having the control of education in such colony, province, State, or Territory.

“A qualified student who has been elected as aforesaid shall within six calendar months after his election, or as soon thereafter as he can be admitted into residence or within such extended time as my trustees shall allow, commence residence as an undergraduate at some college in the University of Oxford.

“The scholarships shall be payable to him from the time when he shall commence such residence.

  • “28. I desire that the scholars holding the scholarships shall be distributed among the colleges of the University of Oxford and not resort in undue numbers to one or more colleges only.
  • “29. Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, my trustees may in their uncontrolled discretion suspend for such time as they shall think fit or remove any scholar from his scholarship.
  • “30. My trustees may from time to time make, vary, and repeal regulations either general or affecting specified scholarship only with regard to all or any of the following matters, that is to say: [Page 536]
    • “(I) The election, whether after examination or otherwise, of qualified students to the scholarships, or any of them, and the method, whether by examination or otherwise, in which their qualifications are to be ascertained;
    • “(II) The tenure of the scholarships by scholars;
    • “(III) The suspension and removal of scholars from their scholarships;
    • “(IV) The method and times of payment of the scholarships;
    • “(V) The method of giving effect to my wish expressed in clause 28 hereof; and
    • “(VI) Any and every other matter with regard to the scholarships, or any of them, with regard to which they shall consider regulations necessary or desirable.
  • “31. My trustees may from time to time authorize regulations with regard to the election, whether after examination or otherwise, of qualified students for scholarships and to the method, whether by examination or otherwise, in which their qualifications are to be ascertained to be made:
    • “(I) By a school in respect of the scholarships tenable by its students; and
    • “(II) By the minister aforesaid of a colony, province, State, or Territory in respect of the scholarships tenable by students from such colony, province, State, or Territory.
  • “32. Regulations made under the last preceding clause hereof, if and when approved of, and not before, by my trustees, shall be equivalent in all respects to regulations made by my trustees.

“No regulations made under clause 30 or made and approved of under clauses 31 and 32 hereof shall be inconsistent with any of the provisions herein contained.

“In order that the scholars past and present may have opportunities of meeting and discussing their experiences and prospects, I desire that my trustees shall annually give a dinner to the past and present scholars able and willing to attend, at which I hope my trustees, or some of them, will be able to be present, and to which they will, I hope, from time to time invite as guests persons who have shown sympathy with the views expressed by me in this, my will.”

The trustees are the Earl of Rosebery, Earl Grey, Lord Milner, Mr. Alfred Beit, Dr. Leander Starr Jameson, Mr. Lewis Loyd Mitchell, and Mr. Bourchier Francis Hawksley.