N.Z. Rhodes Scholar, 1917

To most students at College, the most noticeable thing about Hugo Mackenzie was his magnificent physique. At yachting, swimming, boxing, his bearing and endurance were outstanding, yet he hated any form of publicity, and this, while keeping him out of competition, probably also led to his modesty and retiring disposition being taken by some for reserve. Of his ability as a student, the fact that he passed his B.A. and qualified for Senior Scholarships in both Latin and French before his 20th birthday is sufficient testimony. But these successes fail to indicate his outstanding mental qualities of breadth, power, grasp and tolerance. Most promising of all was his critical faculty; this, combined with his devotion to truth, has led some of his friends to express the belief that he will bring honor to New Zealand and to V.U.C. In character and personality he recalls Macdougall and de la Mare. Incidentally, his likeness to the latter was demonstrated to a remarkable extent in camp. For there both of them stood unflinchingly for those high standards of truth, justice and honor that has been characteristic of both in their civilian life. Courteous, gentle, firm and modest, broad-minded and tolerant, fearless and spartan in activity of body, unselfish and ruled by scrupulous honor, our College has good reason to be proud of the man who is New Zealand's Rhodes Scholar, 1917.