News Release (January 28, 1968)

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/'.N"Ews RELEASE EW COLLEGE SARASOTA, FLORIDA 33578 1 -93 -1/24/68 813 / 355-7131 Ref.: Furman c. Arthur FOR RELEASE: SUNDAY, JAN. 28, 1968 In the realm of achievement by intellectual skills, membership in Phi Beta Kappa rates as the normal benchmark. To a growing number of people all over the world, to be a member of Mensa is equally a mark of intellectual prowess. Second year New College student Ellen Tisdale is one of the area members of Mensa, which has its nearest local chapter in St. Petersburg. Mensa, explains Ellen, is an international organization made up of persons of extremely high intelligence. To become a member, applicants must either take a special Mensa intelligence test, and score highly, or submit a statement from a qualified psychiatrist that they are among the top two per cent in intelligence in the nation. Organized primarily to facilitate research into the phenomenon of intelligence, Mensa also gives its membership a means to meet others like themselves. more

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/ NEW COLLEGE Page 2 Ellen, who hails from Patrick Air Force Base in Florida and is majoring in mathematics, read about the organization in a newspaper article about three years ago, but its formation goes back to 1948 when Sir Cyril Burt established Mensa. In only 20 years, membership has grown to 12,000. Main benefit for Ellen, as she explained it, has been correspondence with other Mensa members, contacted through the organization's monthly bulletin. Ellen said that her experience with other Mensa members is that as a group they are far more sure of their opinions than non members. There is no age limit to membership in Mensa, said Ellen, but tests are not administered unless the applicant is over 15. To date three other New College students have achieved membership, but the campus members don't get together regularly and Ellen hasn't found time to attend the monthly open houses sponsored by the St. Petersburg group. Ellen admits that some people join Mensa merely to show off their intelligence but in general she has found that most members are quite stimulating and well informed., Dues are $7o50 a year to belong but according to Ellen these may be waived at the request of members, a particularly important poin t for college student members. In addition to receiving monthly bulletins and getting to know other members, Ellen said that the Mensa organization also works at a variety of charitable enterprises including co -sponsoring of a village in I taly f o r orphans of high intelligence. 30 -