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St. Olaf will send seventh Rhodes Scholar to Oxford

By David Gonnerman '90
November 24, 2003

St. Olaf College student Decker F. Walker, Jr. (Lafayette, Ind.) has been awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. Walker's scholarship will take him to the University of Oxford in England in October 2004 -- almost exactly 100 years after the first class of American Rhodes Scholars arrived in 1904. The 32 final scholars were chosen from 963 applicants endorsed by 366 colleges and universities.

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Walker
Oxford is familiar territory to Walker, who studied there his entire junior year. This time he plans to earn a doctorate in economics as preparation for a career in public policy.

Walker, St. Olaf's seventh Rhodes Scholar since 1910 (and third since 1997), says the honor still hasn't sunk in. But the economics and math double major, and varsity football and track and field athlete is thrilled. "This is one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me," he says.

The Rhodes selection process can be grueling. Requirements include eight letters of recommendation and many practice interviews to prepare for two rounds of interviews spanning five days, which Walker says were the most challenging element. "But it was the time directly before and after the interviews that were most unnerving," he explains.

"Sitting in a room full of extremely bright and talented people from all over the country who are equally, if not more, qualified than yourself while playing Trivial Pursuit -- and losing pretty badly -- was possibly the most daunting experience I've ever had.

"What kept me going through the whole process was the support I received from my mother and a group of friends, professors and coaches," he adds. "They managed to prop me up when I was ready to give in."

Walker spent last summer in Africa as a United Nations intern, where he wrote two papers. One examined the similarities between Asian growth triangles and the Zambia-Malawi-Mozambique Growth Triangle (ZMM-GT). The second was a proposal for a $2 million grain storage network throughout the ZMM-GT region. The first paper was presented at a conference in Tokyo in October.

While at St. Olaf he also studied the German language in Germany and mathematics in Hungary. Walker will spend this January in China studying economic development.

"Rhodes probably put a lot of faith in [Walker] because he wants to have a lot of impact on the world," says St. Olaf Professor of English and Rhodes Adviser Richard Durocher. "He's practical, with a 'can-do' spirit that's infectious in a good way. He gives you the sense that he can really accomplish things."

Applicants are chosen on the basis of the criteria set down in the Will of Cecil Rhodes, the British colonialist who founded the scholarship. Rhodes hoped that his scholars "would make an effective and positive contribution throughout the world." The criteria include high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others and potential for leadership.

Approximately 95 scholars are selected worldwide each year. The United States scholars will join scholars from eighteen other jurisdictions around the world: Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, the nations of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, Southern Africa (South Africa plus Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland), Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-646-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.