RHODES SCHOLARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 231, 30 September 1929, Page 10

RHODES SCHOLARS.

AUCKLAND CANDIDATES. THREE NOMINATIONS RECEIVED. TRIO OF GRAMMAR OLD BOYS. Three- students of tlie Auckland University College are candidates for the Rhodes Scholarship for 1930. They are Percy C. Minns, 8.A., Alexander Hugh McDonald, 8.A., and J. S. Watt, all being old boys of the Auckland Grammar School. The merits of the candidates will be considered at a meeting of the professorial board early in October, and two will be nominated ior final consideration by a selection committee in Wellington during October. Percy C. Minns was born at Albany, West Australia, in 1907. He was educated in the Wairarapa district until enrolling at the Auckland Grammar School in 1021, with a junior national scholarship. In 1924 and 1925 he was senior athlete at the Grammar School, and holder of the senior cup. He also held the 100 yds Waikato Challenge Shield and the Old Boys' Cup for the quarter mile. Mr. Minns was a member of the first fifteen, a prefect, and a member of the tennis and swimming clubs. His university career commenced in 1926, when he entered the college with a junior university scholarship, placed 7th on the Dominion list. He completed his B.A. course last year, won a senior scholarship in French, and is now reading for honours in modern languages. For the past two years he has been a member of the college fifteen, the Auckland representative team, and has been chairman of the A.U.C. Athletic Club. He has been prominent in inter-'varsity tournaments, is a vice-president of the Students' Association, and is active in the social life of the college. For the past year he has been a member of the teaching staff at the Mount Albert Grammar School.

Alexander H. McDonald, is a son of the Rev. William McDonald, of Epsom. He was born at Dunedin in 1908, and received his primary education at the Epsom School. ' From 1922 to 1925 he attended the Auckland Grammar School, holding junior and senior national scholarships. As a member of the school tennis club he became a prominent player, and in 1026 won the secondary schools' singles championship, and the junior singles championship for Auckland. He was a member of the shooting team, and was a sergeant-major in the school cadet battalion. Since entering the Auckland University College in 1920 with a university entrance scholar-

ship, he has been a prominent competitor in Auckland club tennis, and this year was a runner-up in the combined championship at the Easter 'Varsity tournament. For the past two years he has been secretary of the Eden and Epsom Tennis Club, and has also been on the executive of the 'Varsity House Committee. He graduated B.A. last year, and was a senior scholar in Greek. At present he is reading for double honours in the classics. John Stephen Watt was born at Boulder, Western Australia, in 1908. He is a son of Mr. William Watt, of Palmerston South. His early education was received at the Remuera School, and he was a pupil of the Auckland Grammar School from 1921 to 1926. He won a senior national scholarship, and was a prize winner in mathematics and science. For three years, 1924-26, he held the school half-mile and mile championships, and established a record for both distances. Entering tho university in 1927, with a university entrance scholarship, he took a science course, specialising in chemistry. He has won the university half-mile championship for the last three years, and this year broke the college record for the distance. Mr. Watt also won the provincial half-mile championship for the 1927-28 season.