For twenty years, from 1946 to 1965, the Department of Mathematics at Stanford University conducted a competitive examination for high school seniors. The immediate and principal purpose of the examination was to identify, among each year’s high school graduates, singularly capable students and attract them to Stanford. The broader purpose was to stimulate interest in mathematics among high school students and teachers generally, as well as the public.
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The examination was established in the belief that an early manifestation of mathematical ability is a definite indication of exceptional intelligence and suitability for intellectual leadership in any field of endeavor. Furthermore, mathematical ability can be tested at a comparatively early age because it is manifested “ not so much by the amount of accumulated knowledge as by the originality of mind displayed in the game of grappling with difficult though elementary problems.”