The National Forensic League
The National Forensic League promotes ethical student leadership
by encouraging high school students
to excel in speech, drama and debate. The organization honors students
as they perform for service organizations and in competitive speech
tournaments. Formed in 1925, the National Forensic League is a not
for profit, non-partisan educational organization with over one
million members. Currently, over 91,000 high school students and
over 3,000 high school teachers are active members.
As part of its history, the National Forensic League is proud to claim
among its members such luminaries as: political leaders President
Lyndon Johnson, Vice-President Hubert Humphrey, and Senators Karl
Mundt and David Boren; international media visionary Ted Turner;
actors James Dean, Shelley Long, Don Ameche,
and Oprah Winfrey; television reporters Jane Pauley and Tom
Brokaw; and Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
The National Speech Tournament has been held continuously since
1931 (except for the World War II years) and has appeared on the
approved list of the National Association of Secondary School
Principals National Advisory List of Contests and Activities
since origination of the list.
Contests are held in policy debate, value debate, legislative
debate, United States Extemporaneous Speaking, Foreign Extemporaneous
Speaking, Original Oratory, Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous
Interpretation, Duo Interpretation, Commentary, Impromptu Speaking,
Prose Reading, Poetry Reading, and Expository Speaking.
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