Caroline Johnson, a Rhodes College senior from Nashville, TN, has been selected for the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, which provides a $40,000 stipend for a 12-month journey to pursue an original project on a global scale. She is one of only 40 fellows chosen nationwide for 2026. Watson Fellows have the freedom to decide where to travel and when to change course, without the need to affiliate with an academic institution or hold formal employment. The program is designed to produce a year of personal insight, perspective, and confidence.
Rhodes Names Palopoli '20, Tameez '20, and Howard '72 Sullivan Award Recipients
Rhodes has conferred the Algernon Sydney Sullivan and Mary Mildred Sullivan awards since 1890. The awards were first presented by the membership of the New York Southern Society. They recognize college students and members of the college community of noble character who have acted as humble servants to others by putting service of others before self-interest. The award is presented each year by more than 70 colleges and universities within the American South.
May 15, 2020
Arthur W. Rollins ’81 Receives the Distinguished Service Medal
The Distinguished Service Medal is given annually during commencement exercises to recognize those individuals who have given selflessly to the college. This year, the college recognizes Rhodes Trustee Arthur W. Rollins ’81 of Atlanta, Georgia. Rollins served his alma mater as a member of the Rhodes Board of Trustees during the tenure of three Rhodes presidents: James H. Daughdrill, Jr., William E. Troutt and Marjorie Hass.
May 14, 2020
Maleelo Shamambo ’20 Receives Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize
The Peyton Nalle Rhodes Phi Beta Kappa Prize is awarded to the graduating senior who best exemplifies the spirit of the liberal arts and affirms the college’s mission in their intellectual expression and self-reflection. It is the college's highest academic honor. This year’s recipient of the Rhodes Prize is Maleelo Shamambo ’20.
May 14, 2020
Rhodes Awards Honorary Degree to Carole Pearson Troutt
The Rhodes Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that the honorary Doctorate of Humanities will be awarded to Carole Pearson Troutt. Her partnership with Rhodes began in 1999 when she made the move to Memphis with the newly named president William E. Troutt. Carole Troutt also has a special relationship to the Class of 2020 as it was the last class to arrive during her tenure at the college.
May 14, 2020
English Major Kailey Payne ’20 Earns Fulbright U.S. Student Award
She will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia beginning January 2021. The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.
May 14, 2020
Profs. Maddox and Rupke Win 2020 Clarence Day Awards
Each year, Rhodes honors two faculty members with the Clarence Day Awards for Outstanding Teaching and for Outstanding Research and Creative Activity, two of the College’s highest honors for its faculty. This year's winners are Drs. David Rupke and Geoff Maddox.
May 13, 2020
Rhodes College to Celebrate Class of 2020 Virtually
The Rhodes community will honor our graduating seniors on Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 p.m. CDT, the date on which this year’s commencement ceremony was originally planned. The graduating class was surveyed and overwhelmingly agreed that the seniors prefer the traditional commencement ceremony be saved for when it could be held on campus. An in-person ceremony where names will be read, and graduates hooded will be held at a later date.
May 12, 2020
Rhodes Singers “Mark the Moment,” Continue Spring Concert Tradition Virtually
Each year, the Rhodes Singers embark on a concert tour, traveling the country and the world through the years. They have made it a tradition to close their concerts with a special piece of music, “Hear My Prayer,” by Moses Hogan.
May 11, 2020
Seven Seniors Inducted Into Rhodes’ Hall of Fame
Seven seniors’ portraits will be added to Rhodes’ Hall of Fame, housed on the second floor of Southwestern Hall. They are Abbey Bako, Dorian Canales, Katie Clark, Adam Cruthirds, Tony Eskridge, Annie Ouyang, and Jackie Paiz. Selection to the Hall of Fame, established in 1931, is based on individual merit, leadership in student activities, service to others, and overall contributions to the campus community. Honorees are chosen by their peers.
May 11, 2020
Margaux Moze ’20 Explores the Economics of the International Wine Trade
It seems only natural that Margaux Moze ’20, whose namesake is a wine produced in the Bordeaux region, would develop an interest in wine. But it was an enduring interest in French culture and a semester abroad in a small town in the south of France that opened her eyes to the world of the international wine trade and the possibility of being a part of that industry.
May 08, 2020