This committee had immediate antecedents in two small committees designed to nominate Fullbright and Rhodes candidates. In 1948 President Cunningham secured a grant of $50,000 (twice renewed) from the George F. Baker Trust of New York to launch an imaginative and resourceful program under the leadership of Bradley Thompson to recruit Baker Scholars" for the Freshman Class. The committee also persuaded the Faculty to require College Board scores for admission. Following this, the student body greatly improved and the faculty suddenly found themselves much more challenged. At this point, this committee was charged with interesting students in graduate study and to encourage their application in the competitive fellowship programs. The committee known as both the Graduate Scholarships Committee and the Graduate Fellowships Committee serves to advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs on graduate scholarships and fellowships, to act as an interviewing and recommending board when nomination by the college is required, and to assist other members of the faculty in encouraging able student to pursue graduate studies.s In 2013, an Office of Fellowships and Scholarships was established with the following mission: The Fellowships and Scholarships Offfice, in collaboration with the Graduate Fellowships Committee, assists students and recent alumni with the rigorous process of applying for an array of national and international fellowships and scholarships for research and student. We work together with faculty and staff to identify potential student scholars, offer one-on-one advising, and plan fellowship workshops and fairs."