IN the contest for the Rhodes' Scholarship this year the selectors had little difficulty in eliminating all but two candidates—C. F. D. Cook, of Canterbury College, and P. W. Robertson, of Victoria College. Of these the former had the better record in athletics, and he had risen to the first rank in his own line of study—Classics. But it was generally agreed that Robertson's work in Chemistry, particularly in original research, defied competition.

Of the other candidates C. F. D. Cook had received a "cabled report" telling him he had won first-class honours in Latin and Greek. He was a cricketer, footballer, volunteer and "Dialectician." His high-jumping performances at inter-college sports are well-known. J. W. Shaw, of Otago, is a Divinity student. He is to be capped this year for first-class honours. He played football and cricket and took part in gymnastics and Harriers' runs. He was a leading member of the Debating Society and editor of the "University Review." J. Dinneen, of Auckland, sat for the B.A. examination last November and passed, He was captain of St. John's football team and a good all-round athlete. Ivan Logan is a Wanganui School boy. He had, of course, little chance against grown graduates. Yet in the opinion of many he approached, in one respect, nearer to the ideal set up by the founder of the Scholarship than did any of the other candidates. He appeared to be a "leader of men" and was certainly a good all-round man.

The Successful Candidate.

Philip Wilfred Robertson, known to his friends as "Robby," is Auckland born. He came to Wellington at the age of ten and thereafter attended the Terrace School. Entering Wellington College in 1898 he gained scholarships in each of the two succeeding years. In the third year, at the age of sixteen, he was dux of the school and won the W. B. Rhodes' Scholarship, the Liverton prize in chemistry and a Junior University Scholarship.

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Chemistry had been his "pet" subject, and, when he received notice of having won a Junior Scholarship, he went immediately to Professor Easterfield and began work in the Victoria College chemical laboratory.

Meantime he passsed through the B.A. course besides winning the Grey Scholarship. His marks right through were exceptionally high. The only other unusual thing was that in 1902, when he won the Grey Scholarship and passed his degree in four subjects, he suffered an attack of typhoid fever between the terms and degree examinations. The subjects which he has studied at the College (some of them in his spare time) include five languages—Greek, Latin, French, German and Italian; also mathematics (pure, applied and higher), biology and physics.

In 1903 Robertson made use of his special knowledge by winning the Senior Scholarship in Chemistry, in which subject, too, he gained first-class honours last year.

It is not for these successes, however, that a space is reserved for "Robby" in the annals of fame. It is for his original research work in chemistry. Several of his papers have been published in the Transactions of the Chemical Society (London). In the very first of these ("Atomic and Molecular Heats of Fusion") he solved a problem which had long attracted the attention of scientists. In recognition of these contributions to scientific knowledge the author was elected a Fellow of the Chemical Society in 1903, when he had barely reached the age of nineteen. In the same year, before the Australasian Science Congress held in Dunedin, Robertson read a paper on the "Distillation of Fatty Acids in the Manufacture of Candles."

Robertson is an enthusiast in tennis and hockey. He represented the College as a tennis player at the Easter Tournament held in Dunedin in 1904. He has held posts of honour in the junior hockey team. He ran in the 440 hurdles at this year's 'Varsity tournament. He is a good swimmer.

Various offices in connection with V.C. institutions have been held by the Rhodes Scholar elect. The Spike prospered exceedingly during the time that he was its financial secretary.

To descend to personalities—Robertson's height is six feet three and a stoop, and his weight is 12st. 3lbs. To his good nature and modesty all who know him will testify.

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