RHODES SCHOLARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19810, 3 December 1927, Page 14

RHODES SCHOLARS.

DEOISION BY COMMITTEE. TWO SOUTHERN CANDIDATES. WELLINGTON AND OTAGO. [BY TELEQEAPJ. —O»VN CORBBSPONDBNT-1 WELLINGTON, Friday. The Rhodes Scholarship Committee met in Wellington to-day, the Chief Justice, Sir Charles Skerrett, presiding in the unavoidable absence of the GovernorGeneral through illness. The other members present were the Chancellor, Professor Macmillan Brown, Sir Robert Stout, the chairman of the Academic Board, Professor Segar, Dr. J, A. Thompson, and Mr. C. M. Gilray. There were nine candidates for the two Scholarships now offered to the Dominion and Messrs. J. F. Platts-Mills (Victoria University College) and C. A. Sharp, B.A. (University of Otago), were elected.

The committee confirmed a resolution adopted at the 1926 meeting that it will not consider the application of any candidate who would ha,ve reached the age of 22 years on entering Oxford, unless there were very 'exceptional circumstances in his favour.

Mr. Platts-Mills is 20 years of age. His primary school days were spent at The Terrace, Karori and Ocean Bay (Marlborough) schools, after which he entered Nelson College. There ho won a junior national scholarship and followed it up by winning the senior scholarship the next year. He passed the matriculation examination in 1921 at the ago of 15, and in 1923 headed the credit list of the university entrance scholarship. In 1924 he qualified for a higher leaving certificate fend won a junior university scholarship, his position being seventh for the Dominion. He was a member of the college team for the "Weekly Press " Rifle Shooting Shield and was a member of the Imperial Challenge Shield team, which headed the New Zealand list. He won the college heavy-weight boxing championship and was a notable figure in school athletics. His university career has been equally successful. Mr. Sharp is 20 years of age and is a native of Dunedin. Ho graduated in May. of this year. Eis scholastic career is a good one from its commencement, as he was dux of his primaipr school and subsequently held junior national, John Williamson and university entrance scholarships. He attended the Auckland Grammar School for four years and in 1927 entered Otago University. He is at present reading for honours in English and Latin. His sporting activities have been mainly concerned with hockey and he has played in university teams from 1924 to 1927. In 1927 he was a member of the Otago team in the university tournament.