Public Speaking Council Ledgers

Collection — Box: 3130, Ledger: 005-006

Identifier: 2008.015.030

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Volume one covers the period 1913-1921. Provides a list of events of the Public Speaking Council. The first meeting of the new organization is recorded here on October 8 1913, as well as minutes of subsequent meetings. Schedules of coming debates/oratorical contests and the results of past events are also recorded here.

Volume two covers the period 1922-1936 and contains the same type of information. Also included are programs from oratory contests, a copy of the constitution of the Inter-state League of State Teachers Colleges 1926-1927, and numerous sets of typed minutes, which have been glued or stapled into the ledger.

Dates

Creation: 1913-1921, 1922-1936

Rights Statement

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

Biographical / Historical

The Public Speaking Council was first called to order on October 8 1913, for the purpose of debate and consisted of two representatives each from the four literary societies at the Normal School, the Sorosis and Clio literary societies (for women), and the Benton and Webster literary societies (for men). One representative was to be a student and the other a member of the faculty. The Council scheduled declamatory and oratorical contests and both men and women debated with other schools. Proceeds from the debate contests and from plays given by the Dramatic Club provided financing.

Contests were open to all students in the school as long as they belonged to a sanctioned campus organization. If there were more than six scholars who wanted to participate, the Council would stage a preliminary contest in order to narrow the field down to two. Men’s and women’s debates were separate; each participated in two series of five debates each year. In 1914, students and faculty established the Hesperian Literary Society and this society also became involved in the Public Speaking Council.