THE RHODES SCHOLAR.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 6

THE RHODES SCHOLAR.

HONOUR FOR VICTORIA COUECE. MR. ALLAN MACDOTJGALL CHOSEN.:, Mr. Allan MacDougall, .M. A., of Victoria College, was selected ; yesterday as the New Zealand .Rhodes scholar for 1009. The other candidates were —Messrs.. W. 6. Aklridgo, Auckland Collego; Bruce Morrison, AVanganui Collegiate School; P. M'Callum, Canterbury College-'; and M. M'Lean, Otago.University. : . ■

The Scholarship Committee met at 3 p.m., at 'Miss' Malcolm's residence,/ Wellington Terrace, .there being present:—rLord Plunket : (chairman), Sir. Robert. Stout, Mr.; Justice Chapman,' Professors Mackenzie ■■: (Victoria College), Segar. (Auckland College),'Chilton (Canterbury Colkge)'and Gilray.(Otago,University)./, Each':of the candidates were personally interviewed by the committee, .which' announced , its decision; ' shortly • before 5 o'clock. - Mr. MacDougall was heartily: congratulated by his fellow candidates, -and .the group was afterwards photographed. '• BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE. V Mr.' Allan MacDougall, who is a native of North/Uist, Scotland, is 23 years of age) and.has resided-in Wellington with his people- for the. last, .14 years. Ho is-an old

Terrace School boy,, having Been, a pupil at .that:institution from 1895-1899. In 1900 'ho entered- Wellington College, 'where he had .a'distinguished, career. During his first year he. was awarded _a ; Junior Turnbull Scholarship.;..the'.following year ho carried"'off the Senior Turnbull Scholarship, the, Livertoh Special \Prize for History, a special prize for EnglislrCompdsition,' and .first prize's in English'and Latin;. in 1902 he : was awarded the special, prize for English Composition, and

Tho now president ,of the conference, the Rev. Thomas, Fee, who was elected. by an\overwhelming vote, was born 'in ;; Ireland .in- 1850, and,- for 'some . years, ij '.was engaged in the teaching profession.' jj In 1873 be'-came out to New' Zealand ii and took up teaching, but left this a little : lator to study for. tho ministry.Ho spent tho "usual term at t-lio Three Kings Training Institution, and has since.laboured as a minister in.a.num- . : bor of theV more important circuits . of.'. the; Dominion. Last year, with the . permission of the ..conference, .- lie temporarily relinquished ministerial duty in order that he might devote himself to pushing . forward. the . cause of y[ No-License, and that is still, his.-present.,.': .work. The now: president is a fluent : ; speaker, and a .well -read man, with all : the wit of his nationality, so..that, he, . may,bo expected to.fill tho. position, with . oredit- to himself and to the .Church.. '. His-r«oidonoo in Auokland. •

was bracketed equal ;for the B'arriieoat Memorial Prize' for Literature: in: 1903,: the last year of his 6tayat tho college, hei was made a., prefect, and gained a special ■ prize for English Composition, the Baraicoat, Memorial Prize for Literature, first prize in English, and was second for the Rhodes Scholarship. ..-■"•'''

His,studies at Victoria Collego, which he entered_ in 1904, have been marked by equal distinction. Li his first year he-gained three first-class passes"in Senior: English, .Latin, and French respectively, with the professor's special prize for'■ Senior English: m- 1905 he was. again classified' as. ; first,, in ..English, Latin, French (with the professor's prize in English), and third in mathematics; tie following year he passed first-class in French, third in Jurisprudence and' Constitutional History, and took : Ms B.'A.. degree in 'English, Latin, French, Mathematics, Jurisprudence, and Constitutional. History; the following year, he took .his'M.A.. degree-with' first-class honours in English • and French, 'and was awarded the Jacob Joseph Scholarship;, on the results, of'his honours' examination ..-".■'■'. /' ■; :,■ ' . .

Mr...MacDougall.has also completed the second section of his LL.B. degree, and, as announced by'private cable a' few days ago, one subject of his third' section.: ;He was for some time,a member of the staff of Messrs Biinny, Petherick, and Ayson, barristers, and solicitors, of this city. Mr. MacDougall was,,'while a. pupil at Wellington College, a member of the first cricket eleven in 1902 and 1903, a sergeantin No. : 1 .company, College Defehco 1 Cadets,, and a .member, of the, drill ■ squad ■ .chosen for competition." , .. V""•'■' .At. Victoria College, he was,' during the period 1905-1908, a member of the college hockey, and cricket, elevens, .being Vice-cap-tain of the senior hockey eleven in. 1908. He was also sub-editor .of.''"'the"College magazine, "The.Spike"; a member of:.'the Students' j. ■ Executive. Committee, : vico-presi-dent of,the.Students' .Association, member of the."committee of the Graduates' Association,, and also of the committees of the cricket and hockey ; clubs, ; and ' Debating Society. • .■..- '.'•..'■ '"■.••.

~ It. will be,noted, from the foregoing,:that the'latest Rhode's .Scholar _has a special inclination, towards .the' study of -.' literature, and,, no doubt, .will specialise in that : branch of' the arts. Professor.' Mackenzie. (English Language and Literature), regards him as the, ablest student in English/ since'.' the foundation of the.College/''-'He is undoubtedly/the best allrround/'candidate that Victoria, College, has/yet. produced,", observed Professor Brown (Classics); "Mr.-MacDou-gal," states Professor / Von Zcdlitz (Modern Languages!, "won'the Jacob Joseph Scholarship, ,'a- course' -of- original "postgraduate 'work; and I have advised to. undertake a. subject—the : history- of the changes in French .' pronunciation / in the nineteenth' the' range of the ; average-honours student, which, when completed, should constitute- a- valuable help to teachers of -French,/on,lines, which have not so. far been attempted.;..-.,. He. is .the onlystudent /of French, 'who, .without- any special advantages, of training or fortuitous circumstances, has. learnt 'to 'write' French not- recognisable., as .the -, handiwork . of . a foreigner."//, ''"/';''.■.: ,'■ V,V.-'''-.'!'..'■.■.-.•'

'. to a i "question ; concerning his future intentions;•■ Mr. MacDougall stated that he had', not given ■. the ; matter- anythought./ He would be guided very; largely: by the .advice.-'of his professors.