A police rap sheet probably wouldn't look very good on an application for the Rhodes.

And John T. Kaden '97 may have some explaining to do to the scholarship committee because of an incident that occurred at a most inconvenient time yesterday--just as he was about to turn his applications for two of the nation's most prestigious fellowships.

On his way to a copy center to make the required copies for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarships, which were due at 10 a.m., Kaden was pulled over by Cambridge Police while going 55 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone of Mass. Ave.

The police held Kaden on Mass. Ave. for about 30 to 45 minutes, making him almost an hour late turning in his applications.

Kaden said he thought the police detained him for a long time because he told them he was in a hurry.

"They even took my car keys," Kaden said. "They asked me if I was on something, to which I said, 'Caffeine.'"

Kaden said the Fellowship Office accepted his application anyway, although they marked it as late.

Kaden was one of about 100 Harvard seniors to file a fellowship application for the Rhodes or Marshall scholarships yesterday.

The scholarships award students two or three years of postgraduate study in England.

The Rhodes scholarship gives a grant for study at Oxford University; the Marshall provides education in any participating British University.

The two are generally regarded as among the most prestigious post-graduate fellowships in the country.

Kaden said he started his application the day before it was due and was running behind yesterday, thus leading to his rush.

"I'm glad I got them in; I almost didn't file them because I was too lazy," he said.

One American history and literature concentrator, Mark J. Greif'97, said he applied for both the Marshall and the Rhodes scholarships so he could study American literature in England.

The application presented a few challenges, Greif said.