Barkley Forum
Encyclopedia
The Barkley Forum, named after Emory alumnus and former United States
Vice-President Alben W. Barkley
, is the intercollegiate debate and forensics organization at Emory University
. Debate at Emory began in the 1830s. The literary societies that practiced literary and forensic arts gave way to an intercollegiate debating society in the 1920s.
After World War II
, the modern Barkley Forum was formed expanding the possibilities for more intercollegiate debate experience for more students. While the Barkley Forum has experienced remarkable competitive success in the last two decades, the Forum has also remained committed to providing debate opportunities for those in under-served communities, both rural and urban.
The Emory National Debate Institute initially began in the 1960s to provide debate training for students from rural Georgia
. That role expanded in the 1980s to provide opportunities for students from urban areas. The Barkley Forum began extensive outreach in the late 1980s establishing the first metro area Urban debate league
. This effort, initially supported by grants from the National Forensic League
and Phillips Petroleum, eventually expanded under grants from the Open Society Institute
(OSI). The combination of OSI and the Barkley Forum made the growth of Urban debate leagues possible nationwide. From twenty students from various area public schools in the Atlanta area, the Urban Debate Leagues now exist in over fifteen major cities with thousands of participants each year.
Barkley Forum Debaters Aimi Hamraie and Julie Hoehn won the 2007 National Debate Tournament
in Dallas, Texas
. Previous Barkley Forum debaters to win the NDT include the team of David Heidt and Kate Shuster (1996) and the team of Jon Paul Lupo and Michael Horowitz (2000).
Melissa Wade
directs the Barkley Forum; William Newnam
is the Associate Director and head coach.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Vice-President Alben W. Barkley
Alben W. Barkley
Alben William Barkley was an American politician in the Democratic Party who served as the 35th Vice President of the United States , under President Harry S. Truman....
, is the intercollegiate debate and forensics organization at Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
. Debate at Emory began in the 1830s. The literary societies that practiced literary and forensic arts gave way to an intercollegiate debating society in the 1920s.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the modern Barkley Forum was formed expanding the possibilities for more intercollegiate debate experience for more students. While the Barkley Forum has experienced remarkable competitive success in the last two decades, the Forum has also remained committed to providing debate opportunities for those in under-served communities, both rural and urban.
The Emory National Debate Institute initially began in the 1960s to provide debate training for students from rural Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. That role expanded in the 1980s to provide opportunities for students from urban areas. The Barkley Forum began extensive outreach in the late 1980s establishing the first metro area Urban debate league
Urban debate league
An urban debate league is a group of high school policy debate teams from urban high schools in the United States. Usually, UDL's are located in large cities throughout the US, and work with predominantly minority students-Early years:...
. This effort, initially supported by grants from the National Forensic League
National Forensic League
The National Forensic League is a non-partisan, non-profit educational honor society established to encourage and motivate American high school students to participate in and become proficient in the forensic arts: debate, public speaking and interpretation. NFL is the America's oldest and largest...
and Phillips Petroleum, eventually expanded under grants from the Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
(OSI). The combination of OSI and the Barkley Forum made the growth of Urban debate leagues possible nationwide. From twenty students from various area public schools in the Atlanta area, the Urban Debate Leagues now exist in over fifteen major cities with thousands of participants each year.
Barkley Forum Debaters Aimi Hamraie and Julie Hoehn won the 2007 National Debate Tournament
National Debate Tournament
The National Debate Tournament is one of the national championships for collegiate policy debate in the United States. The tournament is sponsored by the American Forensic Association with the Ford Motor Company Fund.-History of the NDT:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. Previous Barkley Forum debaters to win the NDT include the team of David Heidt and Kate Shuster (1996) and the team of Jon Paul Lupo and Michael Horowitz (2000).
Melissa Wade
Melissa Wade
Melissa Wade has been the Director of Forensics at Emory University, and the head coach of the school's award-winning policy debate team, the Barkley Forum, since 1972. She has been awarded every national coaching award in her field, and has been honored for her contributions to minority and...
directs the Barkley Forum; William Newnam
William Newnam
William E. Newnam, or Bill Newnam, is the Associate Director of Forensics and debate coach for the Barkley Forum at Emory University, and administrative director of the National Debate Project Debate Center at Georgia State University...
is the Associate Director and head coach.