The number of highest honors students in the University is gradually falling off, according to figures published in the 1923-24 Rank List which was distributed to the parents of all members of the college during the summer.
Statistics in the rank list show that only 38 men out of the total of 2323 registered in the upper three classes of the college succeeded in winning highest honors, or places in the so-called first group. The requirements for placing in this group demand that Freshmen should receive at least three and a half A's and one and a half B's, and that upper classmen should get three and a half A's and half a B.
The number of men winning this distinction was slightly more than 1 1-5 per cent of the total membership of the three upper classes. Last year, the percentage was somewhat better, as 40 men won first group places, while two years ago, 44 men received highest honors.
The number of men winning straight distinction, or third group places was considerable in each class. Eighty-three Seniors, 84 Juniors, and 98 Sophomores, or a total of 263 students received the necessary B average which is required for the group.
The idea of publishing yearly a list of all undergraduates with their comparative scholastic ratings was first conceived in the fall of 1921 as a result of a recommendation of the Scholarship Committee of the Student Council to publish the grades of all students as an incentive to higher scholarship. This was found to be impractical and the college office devised the present system of dividing all students into six groups according to the average of the grades attained. Men who completed their requirements for a Bachelor's degree and men who missed their final examinations are not included in the percentages.
The number of students in the college who finished the year with records too low for promotion was larger by two score than last year's total. Last year 208 men failed to win promotion, while this year, the figure had jumped to 248. In addition, 34 men with satisfactory records left college while an even 150 men left with records too low to justify promotion.
The following is a list of the group 1 students:
Class of 1925: G. E. Barton, A. B. Brown, D. V. Brown, E. S. Castle, H. P. Curtis, H. T. Dunker, H. L. Elsbree, Mason Hammond, M. S. Huberman, R. L. Kilgour, Morris Marden, M. M. Rubinwitch, B. E. Soman, D. F. Walsh.
Class of 1926: E. M. Bailen, W. B. Cline, G. W. Cottrell, P. M. Fekula, R. M. Fuoss, T. B. Massell, P. E. Mosely, J. R. Oppenheimer, A. O. Ortiz, M. H. Radovsky, J. E. Stocker, D. W. Wallwork.
Class of 1927: D. C. Backus, G. M. Benedict, D. W. Chapman, A. B. Chase, S. W. Elton, J. C. Furnas, M. I. Katz, N. W. Schur, L. H. Weinstein, L. A. Weissberger, H. F. Williams.
Out-of-Course Student: P. T. Hanlon.
The following table shows the number of students and the percentage of each class in each group:
