Oregon Forensics History
Just ten days after the University of Oregon opened its doors, students wasted no time forming a debating society. At a school of fewer than...
The experiment was contagious. By spring 1877, a second debating society had sprung up, filling classrooms with heated arguments and enthusiastic crowds. With multiple societies...
In 1891, a third society joined the mix, ensuring that nearly every prominent student was involved in forensics. For the next half-century, these societies organized...
That same year, Oregon’s debaters made an extraordinary contribution. They purchased the defunct Eugene City Library and donated its collection to the university. Those shelves...
In 1891, Oregon and Willamette University faced off in one of the earliest intercollegiate debates in the United States. This event placed Oregon among the...
Debaters also launched The Reflector (1891–1894), the university’s first student newspaper. Its pages carried spirited arguments and student perspectives. By the early 1900s, the same...
In the early 1890s, Oregon squared off against Albany College (today Lewis & Clark) in what is remembered as one of the first intercollegiate debates...
Technology took the stage in 1924 when Oregon faced UC Berkeley in the nation’s first radio debate. Radios were rare in Oregon homes, so towns...
When Oxford University’s team toured the United States, one stop was Eugene. On that November evening, more than 2,500 locals crammed into Villard Hall to...
Oregon hosted Cambridge University. The debates weren’t just contests; they were cultural events that brought Oregon onto the international stage. Students and community members alike...
That same year, Professor J. Stanley Gray published a revolutionary format: the “Oregon Plan of Debate.” It introduced cross-examination and direct refutation — turning debates...
By 1926, Oregon was taking on Australia — live over the airwaves. The University of Sydney team debated Oregon in a broadcast carried across the...
Three Oregon debaters traveled more than 25,000 miles through 17 countries, debating 32 times and giving 75 speeches. Their journey drew rapturous press coverage and...
During the 1927–28 World Debate Tour, Oregon took the stage at Manila’s Opera House before 10,000 people in what newspapers dubbed the “debate of the...
At the invitation of the U.S. State Department, Oregon embarked on the Pacific Basin Goodwill Tour — the largest international debate tour ever undertaken. Once...
Back home, Oregon continued innovating. The “Symposium Style” brought large teams together to address major problems collaboratively. It reflected a shift from simple competition to...
Dr. W. Scott Nobles, then a University of Oregon student, teamed with Jerry Sanders to win the first-ever National Debate Tournament (NDT), held at West...
Television had arrived. On April 19, 1960, Oregon met USC in the first-ever televised intercollegiate debate. Oregon lost the contest, but once again stood at...
© 1966 Oregana, University of Oregon. Digital edition accessed via Scholars’ Bank: scholarsbank.uoregon.edu, item ID b15bdb2c-2039-454d-ab91-dd2159bd019f.
Oregon Daily Emerald November 11, 1969 The University of Oregon Forensics program has claimed its first-ever National Sweepstakes Championship, capping a...
The Frank Tournament of Scholars and Alumni Dinner brought together generations of Oregon debaters for an evening of stories, gratitude, and renewal. Alumni reconnected with...
In 2019, Oregon helped found Collegiate Advocacy, Research and Debate (CARD), a network advancing debate pedagogy. Its Debate+ model integrates research, advocacy, and communication training,...
Oregon Forensics added to its storied legacy in 2022 when debaters Alex and Gabe captured two of the most prestigious parliamentary debate titles in the...
How You can Help
Carry the Torch
Two weeks before classes began, the University canceled Oregon Forensics.
This decision ends nearly 150 years of nationally recognized excellence in debate, speech, and mock trial. We are deeply disappointed.
But the legacy is too strong to vanish. Alumni, students, and supporters are working together to ensure Oregon Forensics endures beyond this moment.
If you believe in the power of communication, advocacy, and leadership training, we invite you to stand with us.
https://oregonforensics.com
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