Governor General Sir Howard Cooke expressed pride in the calibre of the seven candidates interviewed for the 1993 Rhodes Scholarship, noting that they demonstrated exceptional intellect, courage and commitment to Jamaica. He said the strong field shows that the nation is producing some of the best-equipped young people to lead at every level, making the final selection both challenging and encouraging for the country’s future.

Published Saturday, December 5, 1992

Harvard law student is the 1993 Rhodes Scholar

Twenty-year-old Harvard Law School student, David Panton, is the 1993 Rhodes Scholar.
The son of President and Chief Executive Officer of Alcan Jamaica Ltd., Dr. Keith Panton, and Barbara Panton, David was selected from a group of seven candidates at King’s House yesterday.
Appearing to be a very confident and pleasant youngster, David responded to questions posed by journalists with a variety of colourful banter.
He was born, and has lived all his life, in the cool climes of Mandeville in Manchester. He is a past student of Belair High School, where he passed eight subjects, five with distinction, in the CXC examinations.
Earlier this year, he graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with high honours in Public Policy.
He also writes. A book, which will be published in January, is on former Prime Minister Michael Manley.
The book tells the story of Mr. Manley’s transformation from being a staunch advocate and practitioner of Democratic Socialism to that of a free-market ideology.
He has always been, and still is, an active participant in extracurricular activities at school. In high school, he was president of the Student Council Body and the Inter-School Christian Fellowship, and a prefect.
At Princeton, he was president of the Undergraduate Student Government. He was also president of the Global Student Response, and at Harvard is involved in the International Law Journal and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.
He is the United States National Debate Champion.
The Selecting Committee evidently had a difficult time choosing this year’s winner. Over one and a half hours more than the expected time was spent deciding this year’s winner.
At the end, Committee Chairman Sir Howard Cooke described the candidates as seven excellent individuals who showed not only intellectual merit but forthrightness and courage.
Sir Howard said it indicated that the country would have to govern at all levels some of the best-equipped people in the world. Each of the candidates, he said, demonstrated in the interview that they were committed to the country.
Sir Howard also disclosed that another Rhodes Scholarship is in the making: “There will be an extra Caribbean Commonwealth Rhodes Scholar for 1993 separate and apart from this one.”
The Committee comprises Sir Howard Cooke, Chairman; Delroy Chuck, Secretary; President of Mutual Life, Gloria Knight; University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Rex Nettleford; attorneys-at-law Rudolph Smellie, Peter Goldson, and Everard Nelson.

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