Rhodes College

<p>I visited Rhodes College this week. I must say this is one college that has been over looked by many. This college offers so much for the students. Besides being a very beautiful campus, the dedication the professors shown to the students is incredible.
Many people seem fearful of the crime & poverty in and around Memphis, but I must say, I kept waiting for the ugly part of Memphis to show, it never did. I have lived in Miami, spent time in PHL, walked the streets of NY. Spent many years seeing the champas of Latin American,seen the train tracks of New Delhi, travelled thurout the Phillipines,Thailand, Egypt and other parts of Southeast Asia and Middle East. Been to Lima, to Columbia & to Sweato outside of Johannburg. I never saw the provety in Memphis as I have seen around the world. The crime is no differnt than in northern Maimi. If you go to it... you will be involved in it.
It is unfortunate that Rhodes College gets over looked for this reason, if Memphis scares you, stay home and never see the world, for there is not many places that is like the US. The reality is,a lot of people have very little in this world.Memphis is one city that offers a lot, is is so rich in history of where we have been and where we came from.
I highly recommend any future jrs to take a close look at Rhodes College.</p>

<p>My S accepted admission to Rhodes. He had been accepted to 5 schools and was very interested in Rhodes as his first choice. But one of our major concerns was the discussion about crime and poverty in Memphis. So we took the issue very seriously when we visited in April. We drove all around the neighborhoods surrounding the campus to see for ourselves. By way of preface, we live in California in an area perennially ranked as one of the three safest cities in the US (yes, it is affluent and we leave front doors unlocked and keys in the cars in the garages). Instead of giving you my comments on our drive let me share those of my S. . . street after street he kept asking "where is the poverty? Gee this looks pretty good to me... I don't see what all the complaints are about." </p>

<p>Now, having said all that, I do get that this is an urban city and one in which the crime stats place it towards the bottom. However, it just seems to me that the probabilities of being a crime victim are not appreciably greater in Memphis as opposed to another city with a much lower crime rate. I just think that all the discussion about crime and surrounding poverty is way over the top and, quite frankly, not realistically a significant enough risk that it should cause one to demure when considering Rhodes. I can assure everyone that in my neck of the woods I never hear anyone consider not accepting admission to USC because it happens to be in one of the worst parts of LA.</p>

<p>My S accepted admission to Rhodes. He had been accepted to 5 schools and was very interested in Rhodes as his first choice. But one of our major concerns was the discussion about crime and poverty in Memphis. So we took the issue very seriously when we visited in April. We drove all around the neighborhoods surrounding the campus to see for ourselves. By way of preface, we live in California in an area perennially ranked as one of the three safest cities in the US (yes, it is affluent and we leave front doors unlocked and keys in the cars in the garages). Instead of giving you my comments on our drive let me share those of my S. . . street after street he kept asking "where is the poverty? Gee this looks pretty good to me... I don't see what all the complaints are about." </p>

<p>Now, having said all that, I do get that this is an urban city and one in which the crime stats place it towards the bottom. However, it just seems to me that the probabilities of being a crime victim are not appreciably greater in Memphis as opposed to another city with a much better crime rate. I just think that all the discussion about crime and surrounding poverty is way over the top and, quite frankly, not realistically a significant enough risk that it should cause one to demure when considering Rhodes. I can assure everyone that in my neck of the woods I never hear anyone consider not accepting admission to USC because it happens to be in one of the worst parts of LA where students sadly do suffer rapes and periodically are murdered.</p>

<p>We lived in a very decent/nice neighborhood in Memphis and worked at Rhodes for a number of years. We really enjoyed our seasons there. That said, we discovered lots of crime that unfortunately impacted us ... had many bikes, 2 lawnmowers, pots/plants, etc. stolen over the years. More than the pain and inconvenience of the losses was the disconcerting reality that someones had been in and around our home and garages.</p>

<p>Some of this touched on Rhodes, which like virtually all of Memphis is in close proximity to poor 'hoods. It's a function of the city's history ... the locals call it the "checkerboard" effect. The public transportation system was historically so very bad and the hired help (read "black") who virtually all enlisted in some ways in and around their homes needed to live nearbye so they might get to work. Consequently, that arrangement remains throughout much of Memphis today. Very poor downtrodden areas in close proximity to very upscale neighborhoods. It's getting better, but it's still a prevalent scenario.</p>

<p>So there's no escaping it in Memphis and Rhodes being recognized as a very white, well to do campus becomes a target on many occasions. Security is high and appropriately good.</p>

<p>Now to put it in perspective, it's "no worse" than a Pitt, Penn, Temple (whoa! this is terrible!!!), GWU, and many other urban colleges. It's the unfortunate nature of the beast. </p>

<p>Rhodes is a very fine and hidden gem in the higher ed world. One of the most attractive, uniform campuses anywhere. And being in Memphis has some very significant advantages for strong students as well, especially those who want to do senior theses on Handy and Elvis and Mud Island. And the Peabody Hotel dux'll quack you up. :eek: jk, of course. But the really great part is that if you don't mind some of the noted downsides, RC offers exceptional FA often to good students who need not necessarily be Rhodes Scholars. Although Rhodes, formerly Southwestern at Memphis, has had several handsful as I recall, including Dr. Alexander, the former U.S. Exec Director or the Rhodes Scholar program.</p>

<p>We really love Memphis, but it's not for everyone. The locals claim it's "down in a hole. 4 hours from anywhere, be it Nashville, Jackson (MS), Little Rock, St. Lou (actually 5 hrs.). The airfares are unbelievably high as it ain't on the way to anywhere, and aside from FedExers and International Paperboys (who ruined the housing market in Memphis) and Evisiteseers, not a lot of reason for people to go and planes to land. And it's the hottest/muggiest place on the planet in August! And one of the prettiest in May ... make sure you get to Memphis in May by the way. ;) Love those crepe myrtles!</p>

<p>One final thought re: Rhodes ... it is a fairly cerebral and very "Southern" type of place. Students are bright, preppy, affluent, mostly Mid-Southern, cotton kids. The campus culture is an interesting one with many good profs who really care about teaching and scholarship. Student leadership has historically been dominated by women ... all one need do is look at th pix of those who've presided over the Honor Council ... nearly always a female. Even before it was PC, RC was pretty gay-friendly place as a result. Athletics is virtually non-existant so cheering for the "weak Lynx" is not the heart of school spirit. Interesting trivia ... RC was once the home to the Memphis Showboats! 'Twas a strategic move to try and nurture a more masculine campus culture. Like the Showboats, it went "south." :confused:</p>

<p>Heck. I didn't know some of that trivia. Good post. The only small point I'd make is Rhodes since Troutt has been all about being national. There are kids from everywhere but still a good many from the "cotton south". I think it goes Tenn., Tx, Fl., Ga, Ark, Miss., Alabama but there are lots of yankees at Rhodes, too. And the politics I've noticed are about 50/50 lib/conservative. Just about right. If anything, not worse than 60/40 either way. I hear the discussions in class can be lively.</p>

<p>Just an added note, my son is a very happy yankee at Rhodes. I will admit that his wardrobe has acquired a much more pastel tint since he has been down there, but I attribute that to the preppy influence. We just put him on a plane to Belgium yesterday and he is off experiencing the wonders of May Term with several of his buddies.</p>

<p>Yes, the "national" aspirations have been prevailing long before Troutt arrived. Jim Daughdrill was president when Rhodes went from being "Southwestern at Memphis" (his doing). The critical point issue was receiving a $20M gift from a trust of a Coca Cola bottler in Mobile AL ... 4/7 of his estate ... name was Bellingrath (and btw, they were NOT going to rename SW as "Bellingrath College" for 2 reasons ... 1. Bellingrath was no better than "Southwestern" , no cache and 2. He was dead with no more potential anyway :eek:), who was a close friend of a former president Diehl ... there are big botanical gardens in Mobile at his home there ... and Southwestern went from being a fine, elite regional college with some but not enuff $$, to a fine, elite regional college that wanted to be a national place like Wash U/St.Lou, CMU, Johns Hopkins, even U.Chicago type place rather than competing with other good local places like Sewanee, Millsaps, Hendrix, Centre, which were and remain pretty much its real competition. Daughdrill orchestrated the name change (named after a former physics prof/dean/president who was a wonderful, longtime servant-leader of the college but not a really notable character in the life of the college. So why Rhodes? Guess. Had Peyton Rhodes name been Magilacutty, you can forget any recognition. It was purely and simply a marketing ploy ... and while there were and remain cynics of the approach, it's clearly helped. </p>

<p>The main thing the $22 M trust distribution (the gift had been in the "pipeline" literally since about 1918 or so and the last surviving beneficiary died unexpectedly in the early 80's ... and ta da ... here comes $22M , which at that time, especially for a very modest little place like SW/ was MONUMENTAL.) and it changed the giving "rules." All of a sudden, a $1 M gift was nice, but ho hum. And Rhodes had the good fortune of being the only real philanthropic game in town and for a LONG way outta town. So they had many big names on the board with capacity to give WAY more than they'd traditionally been giving ... names like Wilson (founders of Holiday Inn), Hydes (many big biz there), Buckmans (labs and new $$), head guy from BMI (garbage biz), Freddie Smith (FedEx founder) and others. And so they were asked to step it up, and did. </p>

<p>And the college could all of a sudden go out and "buy" good students from beyond little rock or Jackson TN or Cordova MS ... thus the good FA programs. And frankly, they had to ... how else would they get non Mid-Southerners to come to the land of Elvis to go to college. Location remains a severe challenge ... like it does for many. And Memphis is not Nashville, unfortunately. And on the way to nowhere. Gotta WANT to get there .. to do so.</p>

<p>And Rhodes hired a national news placement firm to get the College name in the NY Times and other national pubs including one placement that literally doubled the apps in one year ... Time magazine named Rhodes one of its "Nifty 9" colleges and universities that managed to alter its market niche/position. That was some 25 years ago, and its still working on that similar strategy. </p>

<p>Thus it's become a more recognizable, stronger place ... altho it was historically one of the better liberal artsy fartsy type places in the Mid South.</p>

<p>Some called it the "school by the zoo" where it can be tough telling the monkeys from the students. </p>

<p>And lastly, Rhodes was originally Southwestern College in Clarksville, TN. Got severely damaged by a tornado and thus it moved to Memphis and became literally "Southwestern at Memphis" ... no college or university. And the Clarksville campus became today's Austin Peay ... pronounced PEE. ;)</p>

<p>And now you know "the REST of the story ..." :confused:</p>