University of Virginia Library

Gamble Offers New Plans
For Echols Scholars Group

Harry Gamble

Dean of Special Scholars

The - Echols Scholars
Program has taken on a new
look with the arrival of Harry
Y. Gamble, recently-appointed
Assistant Dean for Special
Scholars.

To those students of
exceptional ability chosen to
participate, the program offers
greater academic flexibility and
the opportunity to live in Watson
House in a social community with
other first-year Echols Scholars.
They are free of area requirements
and prerequisites.

Mr. Gamble has expressed the
desire to bend his efforts toward
full realization of the program's
potential. While praising the
academic opportunities now
afforded to Echols Scholars, he
added that there was 'an awful lot
to be desired in the residential
area.'

He stated that deficiencies in the
social aspects of the program
caused 'increasing atomization' of
students involved, to the point that
most Echols Scholars beyond their
first year have very little contact
with any facet of the program
outside the classroom.

Mr. Gamble stressed the ideal of
the program as an intellectual
community. He added that he
hoped that in the future it might
incorporate the residential college
concept with Echols Scholars in all
classes occupying the first housing
of this type constructed by the
University.

In the meantime, Mr. Gamble
hopes to sponsor social gatherings
periodically for all Echols Scholars.
The first of these, a beer party, has
been scheduled for September 29 at
8 p.m. in Alumni Hall.

On the dormitory level, Mr.
Gamble plans to expand the Echols
Scholar seminar offerings.

This year, there are 81 Echols
Scholars in the entering class. There
are 27 women and 54 men
participating in the program.