Debater often go onto to become leaders in their fields. Here is a list of famous people who honed their communication skills as college debaters:
-James Copeland, once Executive Director of the NFL (National Forensic League), said that several years ago a survey of U.S. Senators and Representatives revealed that over 60 percent had participated in high school or college forensics. A study claimed that half of the current U.S. Senators competed in high school or college forensics.
- Found of Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey debated in high school.
-Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan competed in the early 60’s for Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.
-South African President Nelson Mandela debated in college.
-Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher competed in debate.
--President George W. Bush - Kicked off Yale's Debate Team
-Former British Prime Minister John Major competed in debate.
-President Lyndon Baines Johnson taught high school debate in Texas and went on to put several of his debaters in high ranking positions in his administration.
-George McGovern taught debate and speech at Dakota Wesleyan University and met his wife when she beat him in a round of debate as a high school competitor.
-Edmund Muskie was a forensics competitor.
-Attorney General Janet Reno competed.
-President Richard Nixon was a debater in California.
-Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor on the OJ Simpson case) was a debater, competing in mock trial competitions. The same is true of OJ Simpson’s defense attorneys Robert Shapiro and Johnny Cochran.
-Floyd Abrams (a famous first amendment attorney) debated for Cornell University.
-Former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan competed at the Interstate Oratory Association’s national tournament.
-William Jennings Bryant also competed at the Interstate Oratory Association’s national tournament.
-Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge competed in debate for Cathedral Prep High School in Erie, PA.
-Diana DeGette, who replaced Pat Schroeder in Congress from the Denver district, debated four years for Colorado College.
-John Kennedy's speech writer and executive assistant Ted Sorenson, debated in high school and college.
-Karl Rove, advisor to President Bush, says that his debate experienced helped direct his career path as a political consultant.
-Antonin Scalia is a Georgetown debate team alum. Apparently several years ago when the debate program was under threat of de-funding, Scalia faxed a letter a support and the program was saved.
REPORTERS, MEDIA PERSONALITIES, OTHER IMPORTANT FOLKS
-Oprah Winfrey competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in high school and competed at National Forensics League nationals.
-Dateline NBC anchor and news correspondent Jane Pauley competed in Original Oratory and earned the state championship in Girls Extemp speaking.
-Tom Brokaw is rumored to have debated at South Dakota State.
-Movie critic Roger Ebert was the State Champion in Radio Speaking in Illinois.
-Allan Lichtman (debated for Brandeis, coached Harvard) is a regular guest commentator on public policy and political issues for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc.
-Robert Shrum (debated for Georgetown, coached Boston College, Georgetown) is a political consultant and featured guest on Crossfire, C-SPAN, the Capitol Gang, etc.
-David Bloom (#1 bid to NDT for Claremont) is an NBC correspondent, reporting on most national stories for the network (Unabomber, Starr investigation, etc.).
-Erwin Chemerinsky (debated for Northwestern) is a law professor at USC and legal affairs commentator on CNN, MSNBC, etc.
-Eliott Minceberg (debated for Northwestern) heads People for the American Way and is a frequent guest and commentator on news and talk programs.
-Laurence Tribe did NDT at Harvard and won the National Championship. He has argued before the Supreme Court 30 times, most recently representing Al Gore and the Democratic position in the post-election fall out in the fall of 2000.
-In his book, "The Uncertain Trumpet," General Maxwell Taylor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (under John F. Kennedy) not only mentions that he was a former high school debater, but attributes his success in politics and the military high command to his involvement in debate.
-Larry Summers (former MIT debater, Harvard econ prof) was economic advisor for the World Bank and was Clinton's chief economic advisor.
-Philip Zelikow (former Houston and Redlands debater, govt prof at JFK School at Harvard) is the author of the recent book, "The Kennedy Tapes," revealing the taped Oval Office sessions on the Cuban Missle Crisis and other events.
-John Graham, former Wake Forest debater, directs the risk analysis office at Harvard and was principally responsible for the research support for the inclusion of air bags as passive restraint (interesting debate case, turned case law, turned public policy). He was a prominent interviewee on the issue on a recent prime time news show.
-Col. William Taylor, the former debate coach at West Point, serves as analyst on most national news broadcasts re: military crises. He was on several recent news programs on the potential military conflict with Iraq.
-Danny Povinelli, former debater for U Mass, was a featured guest on a prime time news program for his work investigating language use with primates.
FAMOUS FIGURES IN HISTORY AND INDUSTRY
-Lee Iacocca (Chrysler Corporation) also competed in Extemporaneous Speaking.
-Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver, did forensics at Cornell University.
-In his book "Confessions," St. Augustine writes "from age 18 to 35, I was a teacher of public speaking....oh how wicked are the sins of men."
-In addition to the many debates of his public career, Malcolm X debated teams from Harvard, Yale, and other New England colleges as part of the Norfolk Prison (Massachusetts) debating program. Read more about it in "'I Was Gone on Debating': Malcolm X's Prison Debates and Public Confrontations", by Robert Branham, debate coach at Bates College, published in Argumentation and Advocacy, v. 31, Winter, 1995.
-Some famous Greek debaters include Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.
Academics: (Prominent debate alums who gave testimonials about debate experience in Navigating Opportunity)
Rebecca Tushnet, Professor of Law, Georgetown
Alexander T. J. Lennon, Editor in Chief, Washington Quarterly, Senior Fellow in international Security policy –Center for Strategic and International Studies
Dan Reiter, Chair, Department of Political Science, Emory University
Donald N. Ritzenhein, Provost, Macomb Community College
Lyn Robbins, Adjunct Professor of Law-Baylor University School of Law
Here’s a list on page 207 of Navigating Opportunity: Notable Former Debaters
Lamar Alexander: governor of Tennessee and Republican presidential candidate
Jackson Browne: singer and song writer
Jimmy Carter: president of the United States
Hillary Rodham Clinton: first lady of the United States
William Jefferson Clinton: president of the United States
Harry Connick Jr.: singer and song writer
Admiral Crowe: four-star admiral, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, ambassador to Great Britain
Alan Dershowitz: noted attorney and Harvard law professor
Mark Fabiani: Special Counsel to the White House
Thomas Foley: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Bob Graham: governor of Florida and U.S. senator
John Graham: director, Institute for Policy Studies at Harvard
Phil Gramm: U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate
Arianna Huffington: TV commentator and web page host
Lee Iacocca: CEO, Chrysler
Lady Bird Johnson: first lady of the United States
Lyndon Johnson: president of the United States
Barbara Jordan: U.S. representative
John F. Kennedy: president of the United States
Richard Lugar: U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate
Michael Mazarr: analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, editor of the Wash¬ington Quarterly
George McGovern: U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate
Zell Miller: governor of Georgia
Richard Morris: political adviser to President Clinton
Edmund Muskie: U.S. senator and presidential candidate
Richard Nixon: president of the United States
Michael Punke: director, Center for Competitive Trade
Ann Richards: governor of Texas
Susan Rook: news anchor for CNN
Franklin Roosevelt: president of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt: president of the United States
Robert Rubin: Secretary of the Treasury
Antonin Scalia: justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Nadine Stroessen: president, American Civil Liberties Union
Laurence Tribe: preeminent constitutional law scholar
James Q. Wilson: preeminent political scientist and government scholar
Woodrow Wilson: president of the United States
Albert Wynn: U.S. representative
-James Copeland, once Executive Director of the NFL (National Forensic League), said that several years ago a survey of U.S. Senators and Representatives revealed that over 60 percent had participated in high school or college forensics. A study claimed that half of the current U.S. Senators competed in high school or college forensics.
- Found of Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey debated in high school.
-Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan competed in the early 60’s for Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.
-South African President Nelson Mandela debated in college.
-Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher competed in debate.
--President George W. Bush - Kicked off Yale's Debate Team
-Former British Prime Minister John Major competed in debate.
-President Lyndon Baines Johnson taught high school debate in Texas and went on to put several of his debaters in high ranking positions in his administration.
-George McGovern taught debate and speech at Dakota Wesleyan University and met his wife when she beat him in a round of debate as a high school competitor.
-Edmund Muskie was a forensics competitor.
-Attorney General Janet Reno competed.
-President Richard Nixon was a debater in California.
-Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor on the OJ Simpson case) was a debater, competing in mock trial competitions. The same is true of OJ Simpson’s defense attorneys Robert Shapiro and Johnny Cochran.
-Floyd Abrams (a famous first amendment attorney) debated for Cornell University.
-Former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan competed at the Interstate Oratory Association’s national tournament.
-William Jennings Bryant also competed at the Interstate Oratory Association’s national tournament.
-Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge competed in debate for Cathedral Prep High School in Erie, PA.
-Diana DeGette, who replaced Pat Schroeder in Congress from the Denver district, debated four years for Colorado College.
-John Kennedy's speech writer and executive assistant Ted Sorenson, debated in high school and college.
-Karl Rove, advisor to President Bush, says that his debate experienced helped direct his career path as a political consultant.
-Antonin Scalia is a Georgetown debate team alum. Apparently several years ago when the debate program was under threat of de-funding, Scalia faxed a letter a support and the program was saved.
REPORTERS, MEDIA PERSONALITIES, OTHER IMPORTANT FOLKS
-Oprah Winfrey competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in high school and competed at National Forensics League nationals.
-Dateline NBC anchor and news correspondent Jane Pauley competed in Original Oratory and earned the state championship in Girls Extemp speaking.
-Tom Brokaw is rumored to have debated at South Dakota State.
-Movie critic Roger Ebert was the State Champion in Radio Speaking in Illinois.
-Allan Lichtman (debated for Brandeis, coached Harvard) is a regular guest commentator on public policy and political issues for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc.
-Robert Shrum (debated for Georgetown, coached Boston College, Georgetown) is a political consultant and featured guest on Crossfire, C-SPAN, the Capitol Gang, etc.
-David Bloom (#1 bid to NDT for Claremont) is an NBC correspondent, reporting on most national stories for the network (Unabomber, Starr investigation, etc.).
-Erwin Chemerinsky (debated for Northwestern) is a law professor at USC and legal affairs commentator on CNN, MSNBC, etc.
-Eliott Minceberg (debated for Northwestern) heads People for the American Way and is a frequent guest and commentator on news and talk programs.
-Laurence Tribe did NDT at Harvard and won the National Championship. He has argued before the Supreme Court 30 times, most recently representing Al Gore and the Democratic position in the post-election fall out in the fall of 2000.
-In his book, "The Uncertain Trumpet," General Maxwell Taylor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (under John F. Kennedy) not only mentions that he was a former high school debater, but attributes his success in politics and the military high command to his involvement in debate.
-Larry Summers (former MIT debater, Harvard econ prof) was economic advisor for the World Bank and was Clinton's chief economic advisor.
-Philip Zelikow (former Houston and Redlands debater, govt prof at JFK School at Harvard) is the author of the recent book, "The Kennedy Tapes," revealing the taped Oval Office sessions on the Cuban Missle Crisis and other events.
-John Graham, former Wake Forest debater, directs the risk analysis office at Harvard and was principally responsible for the research support for the inclusion of air bags as passive restraint (interesting debate case, turned case law, turned public policy). He was a prominent interviewee on the issue on a recent prime time news show.
-Col. William Taylor, the former debate coach at West Point, serves as analyst on most national news broadcasts re: military crises. He was on several recent news programs on the potential military conflict with Iraq.
-Danny Povinelli, former debater for U Mass, was a featured guest on a prime time news program for his work investigating language use with primates.
FAMOUS FIGURES IN HISTORY AND INDUSTRY
-Lee Iacocca (Chrysler Corporation) also competed in Extemporaneous Speaking.
-Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver, did forensics at Cornell University.
-In his book "Confessions," St. Augustine writes "from age 18 to 35, I was a teacher of public speaking....oh how wicked are the sins of men."
-In addition to the many debates of his public career, Malcolm X debated teams from Harvard, Yale, and other New England colleges as part of the Norfolk Prison (Massachusetts) debating program. Read more about it in "'I Was Gone on Debating': Malcolm X's Prison Debates and Public Confrontations", by Robert Branham, debate coach at Bates College, published in Argumentation and Advocacy, v. 31, Winter, 1995.
-Some famous Greek debaters include Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle.
Academics: (Prominent debate alums who gave testimonials about debate experience in Navigating Opportunity)
Rebecca Tushnet, Professor of Law, Georgetown
Alexander T. J. Lennon, Editor in Chief, Washington Quarterly, Senior Fellow in international Security policy –Center for Strategic and International Studies
Dan Reiter, Chair, Department of Political Science, Emory University
Donald N. Ritzenhein, Provost, Macomb Community College
Lyn Robbins, Adjunct Professor of Law-Baylor University School of Law
Here’s a list on page 207 of Navigating Opportunity: Notable Former Debaters
Lamar Alexander: governor of Tennessee and Republican presidential candidate
Jackson Browne: singer and song writer
Jimmy Carter: president of the United States
Hillary Rodham Clinton: first lady of the United States
William Jefferson Clinton: president of the United States
Harry Connick Jr.: singer and song writer
Admiral Crowe: four-star admiral, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, ambassador to Great Britain
Alan Dershowitz: noted attorney and Harvard law professor
Mark Fabiani: Special Counsel to the White House
Thomas Foley: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Bob Graham: governor of Florida and U.S. senator
John Graham: director, Institute for Policy Studies at Harvard
Phil Gramm: U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate
Arianna Huffington: TV commentator and web page host
Lee Iacocca: CEO, Chrysler
Lady Bird Johnson: first lady of the United States
Lyndon Johnson: president of the United States
Barbara Jordan: U.S. representative
John F. Kennedy: president of the United States
Richard Lugar: U.S. senator and Republican presidential candidate
Michael Mazarr: analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, editor of the Wash¬ington Quarterly
George McGovern: U.S. senator and Democratic presidential candidate
Zell Miller: governor of Georgia
Richard Morris: political adviser to President Clinton
Edmund Muskie: U.S. senator and presidential candidate
Richard Nixon: president of the United States
Michael Punke: director, Center for Competitive Trade
Ann Richards: governor of Texas
Susan Rook: news anchor for CNN
Franklin Roosevelt: president of the United States
Theodore Roosevelt: president of the United States
Robert Rubin: Secretary of the Treasury
Antonin Scalia: justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Nadine Stroessen: president, American Civil Liberties Union
Laurence Tribe: preeminent constitutional law scholar
James Q. Wilson: preeminent political scientist and government scholar
Woodrow Wilson: president of the United States
Albert Wynn: U.S. representative
