This study investigated the Center of Excellence Program (COE) comprised of 24 Lyndhurst and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Scholars at Memphis State University. The major purpose was to delineate personality characteristics prominent among the scholars who participated in a novel fifth year academic and clinical program for certification of teachers and to compare their characteristics with a group of 36 successful teachers in a regular M. Ed. program, and with a group of Outstanding Teachers in Higher Education. Through descriptive methods utilizing ANOVA, Multiple R, Regression Analysis, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation, our findings suggest that the fifth year program represented by COE scholars has attracted subjects with a number of characteristics commensurate with teachers who are successful in their teaching. There were some differences favoring the COE subjects over the M. Ed. classes. They had significantly higher Miller Analogies Test scores, showed more imaginativeness, were more intuitive, and more abstract in their thinking. It is suggested that these are important characteristics to consider in recruiting quality teachers for schools of tomorrow. (Author)