Editing Cecil Rhodes (section)

=== Education ===

[[File:Rhodes' portrait bust.JPG|thumb|A portrait bust of Rhodes on the first floor of No. 6 [[King Edward Street]] marks the place of his residence whilst in [[Oxford]].]]

In 1873, Rhodes left his farm field in the care of his business partner, Rudd, and sailed for England to study at university. He was admitted to [[Oriel College, Oxford]], but stayed for only one term in 1874. He returned to South Africa and did not return for his second term at Oxford until 1876. He was greatly influenced by [[John Ruskin]]'s inaugural lecture at [[Oxford University|Oxford]], which reinforced his own attachment to the cause of British [[imperialism]].

Among his Oxford associates were [[James Rochfort Maguire]], later a fellow of [[All Souls College, Oxford|All Souls College]] and a director of the [[British South Africa Company]], and Charles Metcalfe.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rhodes the Matrix {{!}} Whites Writing Whiteness |url=https://www.whiteswritingwhiteness.ed.ac.uk/blog/rhodes-the-matrix/ |access-date=24 May 2022 |website=www.whiteswritingwhiteness.ed.ac.uk}}</ref> Due to his university career, Rhodes admired the Oxford tutorial system. Eventually, he was inspired to develop his scholarship scheme: "Wherever you turn your eye—except in science—an Oxford man is at the top of the tree".{{sfn|Alexander|1914|p=259}}

While attending Oriel College, Rhodes became a [[Freemasonry|Freemason]] in the [[Apollo University Lodge]]. Although initially he did not approve of the organisation, he continued to be a [[Freemasonry in South Africa|South African Freemason]] until his death in 1902. The shortcomings of the Freemasons, in his opinion, later caused him to envisage his own secret society with the goal of bringing the entire world under British rule.{{sfn|Thomas|1997|p=}}{{page needed|date=February 2016}}