Reflections on the Ndt at 50

Abstract

Since I too am turning 50 this year, I know something of what it feels like for the National Debate Tournament to reach this venerable age. It's an occasion to celebrate achievement, to wonder how time passed so quickly, and to remind oneself that, after all, 50 is still young and vigorous. At least in the tournament's case I'm sure that is true! My first serious contact with even the idea of the NDT came in the spring of 1966, when Bill Snyder and Mike Denger returned to Northwestern after having won Nationals at West Point. Only one team per school could attend in those days, and I had been on the second team. Mike's and Bill's victorious return meant two things for me. First, under the rules then in existence, the winning team received an automatic invitation to the next year's tournament. Since I regarded it as likely that Mike Denger and I would be on the top team, I rejoiced at the thought that I could get there without having to go through Districts (the only way that one could qualify). But, second, with Mike's and Bill's return came the news that West Point after 20 years had decided to discontinue hosting and sponsoring the NDT. I might have a free ride, but to where? Quickly the American Forensic Association stepped into the breach and assumed the sponsorship of the tournament, an arrangement that has continued now for 30 years. The 1967 tournament was hosted jointly by Northwestern and the University of Chicago (Chicago provided the facilities and Northwestern the money) and I was fortunate to go. I was very glad that I could skip Districts. Not only was District V the toughest district in those years, but several of the teams who had done well all year did not qualify - a circumstance that was, I believe, the immediate cause of the invention of the at-large system beginning the next year. Mike and I reached the quarterfinals where we lost to the Dartmouth team of Tom Brewer and John Isaacson who went on to win the tournament. Of course, we thought we should have won the round. I recently enjoyed reading about John Isaacson's years as a Rhodes Scholar in David Maraniss's book, First in His Class. The next year the tournament was hosted by Brooklyn College. The free ride for winners was gone. We went through districts and were fortunate enough to clear. The tournament was now up to 44 teams with eight at-large teams added after Districts, so it now took at least a 5-3 record to clear. We did well in the preliminary rounds and I was fortunate enough to win the Top Speaker Award, receiving a watch which I still wear to this day. In the eliminations we had a tough octafinal round against Oregon and then lost in the quarterfinals to Butler, who went on to reach the final round. Once again, of course, we thought we really had won the round. …