Rhodes College

Coordinates: 35°09′21″N 89°59′28″W / 35.1558°N 89.9910°W / 35.1558; -89.9910

Rhodes College
Motto	Truth, Loyalty, Service
Established	1848
Type	Liberal arts college
Endowment	US $335 million[1]
President	William E. Troutt
Academic staff	210
Undergraduates	1,927
Postgraduates	12
Location	Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Campus	Urban, 100 acres (400,000 m²)
Colors	Cardinal & Black
Athletics	NCAA Division III, SAA
Nickname	Lynx
Website	http://www.rhodes.edu/

Rhodes College is a private, predominantly undergraduate, liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee. Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), Rhodes is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and enrolls approximately 1,800 students.

History

Rhodes College was founded in 1848 in Clarksville, Tennessee as the Masonic University of Tennessee (and briefly as Montgomery Masonic College), the Institution was renamed Stewart College in 1850 in honor of its president, William M. Stewart. Under Stewart's leadership in 1855, control of the college passed to the Presbyterian Church. In 1875, the college added an undergraduate School of Theology and became Southwestern Presbyterian University. The School of Theology operated until 1917.

In 1925, president Charles Diehl led the move to the present campus in Memphis, Tennessee (the Clarksville campus later became Austin Peay State University). The college shortened its name to Southwestern. In 1945, the college adopted the name Southwestern at Memphis, to distinguish itself from other colleges and universities containing the name "Southwestern."

Finally, in 1984, the college's name was changed to Rhodes College to honor former college president, and Diehl's successor, Peyton Nalle Rhodes.^[2] Since 1984, Rhodes has grown from a regionally recognized institution to a nationally ranked liberal arts college.^[3] As enrollment has increased over the past 20 years, so has the proportion of students from outside Tennessee and the Southeast region.^[4]

Dr. James Daughdrill served as president for over a quarter century, from 1973 to 1999. His successor is Dr. William E. Troutt, the 19th president of the college.

Academics

The academic environment at Rhodes centers around small classes and an emphasis on student research and writing. Students are encouraged to participate in off-campus activities and "service learning." They are also given the opportunity to participate in a variety of research-based programs, such as the Summer Plus program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies, the Center for Outreach and Development of the Arts, the Mike Curb Institute for Music, and the Rhodes Service Fellows program.

About one third of Rhodes students go on to graduate or professional school.^[5] The acceptance rates of Rhodes alumni to law and business schools are around 95%, and the acceptance rate to medical schools is nearly twice the national average.^[6]

Rhodes is featured in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives^[7] and on the cover of the 2008 Princeton Review Complete Book of Colleges.^[8] U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Rhodes among the nation's "top-tier" liberal arts colleges, ranking the school 47th among liberal arts colleges in 2010.^[9] Forbes rated Rhodes 47th among all American colleges and universities in its 2010 publication of America's Best Colleges^[10] Rhodes has been home to a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society since 1949, one of 283 chapters nationwide.

Campus

The campus covers a 100-acre (0.40 km²) tract in Midtown, Memphis across from Overton Park and the Memphis Zoo. Often cited for its beauty,^[11] the campus design is notable for its stone Gothic architecture buildings, thirteen of which are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[12]

The original buildings, including Palmer Hall (1925), Kennedy Hall (1925), and Robb and White dormitories (1925), were designed by Henry Hibbs in consultation with Charles Klauder, who designed many buildings at Princeton University, alma mater of college president Charles Diehl.

Later buildings were designed by H. Clinton Parrent, a young associate of Hibbs who was present from the beginning. Parrent's buildings include the Catherine Burrow Refectory (1957), which was an expansion of Hibbs' original dining hall. Parrent also added Halliburton Tower (1962) to Palmer Hall. The 140-foot (43 m) bell tower was named in honor of explorer Richard Halliburton. The Paul Barret, Jr. Library holds a collection of Halliburton's papers.^[13]

Rhodes maintains its Collegiate Gothic architecture. The latest example is the new West Village dormitory (2012).

The campus was used as the setting of the movie Making the Grade.^[14]

Students and faculty

Rhodes' student body represents 46 states, the District of Columbia, and 11 foreign countries, and includes 20% students of color .The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1.^[15] Some of the approximately 30 majors include Economics and Business Administration, Biology, Political Science, English, and International Studies.

Traditions and clubs

Rhodes is one of 62 colleges recently classified for both "Curricular Engagement" and "Outreach & Partnerships" in the "Community Engagement" category by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Approximately 80% of Rhodes students participate in some form of community service by the time they graduate.^[16] The curriculum includes a requirement that students participate in activities that broaden the connection between classroom experiences and the outside world. The mission statement of the college also reinforces community engagement, aspiring to "graduate students with...a compassion for others and the ability to translate academic study and personal concern into effective leadership and action in their communities and the world."^[17]

Central to the life of the college is its Honor Code, administered by students through the Honor Council. Every student is required to sign the Code, which reads, "As a member of the Rhodes College community, I pledge my full and steadfast support to the Honor System and agree neither to lie, cheat, nor steal and to report any such violation that I may witness." Because of this, students enjoy a relationship of trust with their professors and benefits such as taking closed book final exams in the privacy of their own rooms.

Rites of Spring is a three day music festival in early April. A major social event of the school year, it typically attracts several major bands from around the country. Rites to Play has in recent years brought elementary-school-age children to the campus. Rhodes students plan, organize, and execute a carnival for the children, who are sponsored by community agencies and schools that partner with Rhodes.

Athletics

The college mascot is the lynx and the school colors are red and black.

The athletic teams compete in the Southern Athletic Association in the NCAA's Division III. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track & field and volleyball.

Rhodes has two athletic national championships to its credit, with the baseball team earning a title in 1961 and the women's golf team earning one in 2014.^[18]

The J. Hal Daughdrill Award is given to the "Most Valuable Player" of the Lynx football team. The award honors James Harold Daughdrill, Sr. (1903–1986), outstanding football player, athlete, business leader, and the father of Rhodes' eighteenth President.^[19] The Rebecca Rish Gay Award and Walter E. Gay Award are given to the "Athletes of the Year" and are named after the parents of former President Daughdrill’s wife, Libby Daughdrill.^[20]

Mock trial

With four national championships and eight national final round appearances, Rhodes's undergraduate mock trial program is one of the most prestigious in the country. Founded in 1986 by Professor Marcus Pohlmann, Rhodes has qualified to the American Mock Trial Association's National Championship tournament every year since its inception, with twenty-seven top ten finishes and over seventy All-American attorney and witness awards.

At the 2013 AMTA National Championship tournament in Washington, D.C., Rhodes A earned the national runner-up spot while Rhodes B placed fifth in its division. The teams are currently ranked second and seventeenth in the nation, respectively.

Buckman Hall houses a replica courtroom used by the teams for practicing. Every spring, Rhodes hosts one of the six AMTA Opening Round Championship tournaments in the Shelby County Courthouse in downtown Memphis. The program also hosts an informal invitational scrimmage tournament in Buckman Hall every autumn.^[21][22]

Greek system

There are a number of social fraternities and sororities at Rhodes. Approximately 45% of the students are members of Greek organizations. Fraternity and sorority lodges at Rhodes are not residential.

Sororities

(in order of establishment at Rhodes)

• Chi Omega 1922
• Alpha Omicron Pi 1925
• Kappa Delta 1925
• Delta Delta Delta 1931

Fraternities

(in order of establishment at Rhodes)

• Pi Kappa Alpha 1878
• Alpha Tau Omega 1881
• Kappa Sigma 1882
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1882
• Kappa Alpha Order 1887
• Sigma Nu 1934

Notable people

Faculty and administrators

• Richard Batey, W. J. Millard Professor of Religious Studies^[23]
• Mark Behr, South African novelist
• Susan Bies, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
• Marshall Gramm, Associate Professor of Economics, son of former US senator Phil Gramm and economist Wendy Lee Gramm
• Andrew A. Michta, M.W. Buckman Distinguished Professor of International Studies
• Marcus Pohlmann, Political Scientist, founder and coach of the mock trial team.
• Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, Professor of religious studies, Islamic scholar
• William E. Troutt, President, former Chair of the American Council on Education and the National Commission on the Cost of Education and member of the Lincoln Commission on Study Abroad.
• Robert Penn Warren, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of All The King's Men, began his teaching career at Rhodes in 1930.^[24]
• Allen Tate, American poet, essayist, social commentator, and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress.
• James H. Daughdrill, Jr., 18th President of Rhodes College.
• Bobby Rush (musician) – Blues Hall of Famer, Grammy nominee, visiting scholar in the arts.

Alumni

Academia

• David Alexander '53, President of Rhodes College and Pomona College.^[25]
• John Churchill, '71 – Secretary of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
• Julie Story Byerley, '92 – Pediatrician and Vice Dean for Education for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine^[26]
• Lindley Darden, '68 – Professor of Philosophy, University of Maryland.
• James C. Dobbins, '71 – James H. Fairchild Professor of Religion, Oberlin College.
• C. Lee Giles, '68 – David Reese Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and Professor of Supply Chain and Information Systems, Pennsylvania State University.
• Harry L. Swinney, '61 – Director of the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics at the University of Texas at Austin.
• Mark D. West, '89 – University of Michigan Law School Dean, Nippon Life Professor of Law.
• Carol Strickland, '68 – Art historian and author.

Athletics

• Tom Mullady, New York Giants tight end, 1979 to 1984.

Business

• John H. Bryan '58 – Former CEO of Sara Lee and member of the board of Goldman Sachs.
• William J. Michaelcheck '68 – Founder and CEO of hedge fund sponsor Mariner Investment Group.

Government and military

• Bill Alexander '57 – US Congressman from Arkansas (1969–1993), Chief Deputy Majority Whip
• Theodore M. Brantley ~1880 – longest-serving Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court, serving for 23 years (1899–1922)
• Abe Fortas '30 – U.S. Supreme Court justice (1965–1969) and unsuccessful nominee for Chief Justice of the United States, authored the opinion in the 1969 case Tinker v. Des Moines School District
• Alison Lundergan Grimes 2001 – Secretary of State of Kentucky, 2012-present
• Claudia Kennedy '69 – first woman to hold a three-star rank in the U.S. Army, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, member of the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
• Joseph Williams Vance, Jr. (1918–1942) – an officer in the United States Navy decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for action in the Battle of Makassar Strait during World War II during which he gave his life. Attended Southwestern from 1936 to 1938. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Vance (DE-387), which saw duty in the latter part of World War II, was named in his honor.
• Dustin Burrows '01 - Texas State Representative, District 83 (beginning January 13, 2015)^[27]
• Frankie Dakin '14 – Youngest elected official in the state of Tennessee, elected as an alderman in Millington, Tenn.

Literature and arts

• Anne Howard Bailey '45 – television writer
• John Boswell '67 – author and publisher
• Dixie Carter '62 – Emmy-nominated actress
• Carroll Cloar – Guggenheim Fellow and artist
• John Farris '58 – prolific writer of popular fiction and suspense novels, and stage and screen plays
• Charlaine Harris '73 – Best-selling mystery writer
• George Hearn '56 – two time Tony Award winning actor and singer
• Sarah Lacy '99 – technology journalist
• Hilton McConnico – film director
• Allison Miller – actress and singer
• Peter Matthew Hillsman Taylor '39 – Pulitzer Prize-winning author
• Verner Moore White '1884 – Noted landscape and portrait artist

Other

• Cary Fowler '71, Hon. '11 – American agriculturalist and the former Executive Director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

See also

• Rhodes Singers

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rhodes College.

• Official website
• Official athletics website

Private colleges and universities in Tennessee American Baptist College Aquinas College The Art Institute of Tennessee – Nashville Baptist College of Health Sciences Belmont University Bethel University Bryan College Carson-Newman University Christian Brothers University Cumberland University Fisk University Freed-Hardeman University Harding University Hiwassee College John A. Gupton College Johnson University King University Knoxville College Lane College Lee University LeMoyne–Owen College Lincoln Memorial University Lipscomb University Martin Methodist College Maryville College Meharry Medical College Memphis College of Art Memphis School of Preaching Memphis Theological Seminary Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary Milligan College Nashville School of Law O'More College of Design Rhodes College Sewanee: The University of the South Southern Adventist University Southern College of Optometry Tennessee Temple University Tennessee Wesleyan College Trevecca Nazarene University Tusculum College Union University Vanderbilt University Watkins College of Art, Design & Film Welch College

Colleges and universities in the Memphis Metro Area Baptist College of Health Sciences Christian Brothers University Harding University LeMoyne-Owen College Memphis College of Art Memphis School of Preaching Memphis Theological Seminary Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary Mid-South Community College Rhodes College Southern College of Optometry Southwest Tennessee Community College Union University University of Memphis University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Current members Austin Kangaroos Centenary (LA) Gentlemen and Ladies Colorado College Tigers Dallas Crusaders Schreiner Mountaineers Southwestern Pirates Texas Lutheran Bulldogs Trinity (TX) Tigers Associate members UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (men's and women's swimming & diving) Former members Birmingham–Southern College Centre College DePauw University Hendrix College Millsaps College Oglethorpe University Rhodes College Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology Sewanee: The University of the South

Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities Agnes Scott Alma Arcadia Austin Barber-Scotia Belhaven Blackburn Bloomfield Buena Vista Carroll Centre Coe College College of Idaho College of the Ozarks College of Wooster Cook School for Christian Leadership Davidson Davis and Elkins Eckerd Grove City Hampden–Sydney Hanover Hastings Illinois College Inter American Jamestown Johnson C. Smith King Knoxville Lake Forest Lees-McRae Lindenwood Lyon Macalester Mary Baldwin Maryville Missouri Valley Monmouth College Montreat Muskingum Peace College Presbyterian Queens University of Charlotte Rhodes Rocky Mountain Schreiner Sheldon Jackson St. Andrews Presbyterian Sterling Stillman Trinity Tusculum College Dubuque Tulsa University of the Ozarks Warren Wilson Waynesburg Westminster (Missouri) Westminster (Pennsylvania) Westminster (Utah) Whitworth Wilson College (Pennsylvania)

Annapolis Group Chair Katherine Haley Will Member schools Agnes Scott Albion Albright Allegheny Alma Amherst Augustana Austin Bard Barnard Bates Beloit Bennington Berea Berry Birmingham-Southern Bowdoin Bryn Mawr Bucknell Carleton Centre Chatham Claremont McKenna Coe Colby Colgate Saint Benedict Colorado Connecticut Cornell Davidson Denison DePauw Dickinson Drew Earlham Eckerd Franklin & Marshall Furman Gettysburg Gordon Goucher Grinnell Gustavus Adolphus Hamilton Hampden–Sydney Hampshire Harvey Mudd Haverford Hendrix Hiram Hobart & William Smith Hollins Holy Cross Hope Illinois Wesleyan Juniata Kalamazoo Kenyon Knox Lafayette Lake Forest Lawrence Lewis & Clark Luther Macalester Manhattan McDaniel Middlebury Millsaps Monmouth Moravian Morehouse Mount Holyoke Muhlenberg Nebraska Wesleyan Oberlin Occidental Oglethorpe Ohio Wesleyan Pitzer Pomona Presbyterian Puget Sound Randolph-Macon Randolph Reed Rhodes Ripon Rollins St. Benedict and St. John's St. John's St. Lawrence St. Olaf Salem Sarah Lawrence Scripps Sewanee Skidmore Smith Southwestern Spelman Swarthmore Sweet Briar Transylvania Trinity College Trinity University Union Ursinus Vassar Wabash Washington Washington & Jefferson Washington & Lee Wellesley Wesleyan College Wesleyan University Westmont Wheaton Whitman Whittier Willamette William Jewell Williams Wittenberg Wooster

Oberlin Group Agnes Scott Albion Alma Amherst Augustana (Illinois) Austin Bard Barnard Bates Beloit Berea Bowdoin Bryn Mawr Bucknell Carleton Claremont McKenna Clark Coe Colby Colgate Colorado College Connecticut College Davidson Denison DePauw Dickinson Drew Earlham Eckerd Franklin & Marshall Furman Gettysburg Grinnell Gustavus Adolphus Hamilton Harvey Mudd Haverford Holy Cross Hope Kalamazoo Kenyon Knox Lafayette Lake Forest Lawrence Macalester Manhattan Middlebury Mills Morehouse Mount Holyoke Oberlin Occidental Ohio Wesleyan Pitzer Pomona Randolph-Macon Reed Rhodes Rollins Sarah Lawrence Scripps Sewanee Simmons Skidmore Smith Spelman College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University St. Lawrence St. Olaf Swarthmore Trinity (Connecticut) Trinity (Texas) Union Vassar Wabash Washington and Lee Wellesley Wesleyan Wheaton Whitman Whittier Willamette Williams Wooster

Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges (CLAC) Albion Allegheny Alma Amherst Bates Beloit Bowdoin Bryn Mawr Bucknell Carleton Colby Colgate Colorado College Connecticut College Davidson Denison DePauw Dickinson Earlham Franklin & Marshall Gettysburg Grinnell Hamilton Harvey Mudd Haverford Hobart & William Smith Holy Cross Hope Kalamazoo Kenyon Lafayette Lake Forest Lawrence Luther Macalester Manhattan Middlebury Mills Mount Holyoke Oberlin Occidental Ohio Wesleyan Pomona Reed Rhodes Sewanee Skidmore Smith St. Lawrence St. Olaf Swarthmore Trinity (CT) Trinity (TX) Union Vassar Wabash Washington Washington & Lee Wellesley Wesleyan Wheaton (IL) Wheaton (MA) Whitman Whittier Williams Wooster

Associated Colleges of the South Birmingham-Southern Centenary (Louisiana) Centre Davidson Furman Hendrix Millsaps Morehouse Rhodes Richmond Rollins Sewanee Southwestern Spelman Trinity (Texas) Washington & Lee