Brooks Quimby Debate Council

The Brooks Quimby Debate Council is a debating society in the city of Lewiston, Maine, whose membership is drawn primarily from Bates College. The debate society is often contrasted with the University of Oxford's Oxford Union as both have been described as "the playground of the powerful."[1] Oxford's first debate in the United States was against Bates in Lewiston, Maine, in September 1923.[2] The debate society competes in the British and American Parliamentary Styles. It competes in the American Parliamentary Debate Association domestically, and competes in the World Universities Debating Championships, internationally.

Brooks Quimby Debate Council
A convening of the 1921 Council with Brooks Quimby left of the foreground
Named afterBrooks Quimby
FormationMarch 20, 1854
Founded atLewiston, Maine, U.S.
President
Abigail Tenzin Westberry
AffiliationsAmerican Parliamentary Debate
World Universities Debating
Oxford Union

At the 2017 World Universities Debating Championships in the Hague, Netherlands the council advanced the final round, becoming one of the top four teams in the world. As of 2013, the debate council was ranked 5th, nationally.[3] In 2012, the debate team was ranked 9th in the world.[4] In 1922, The New York Times called Bates "the power centre of college debating in America."[5] Founded near the start of the college's founding, the debate society is the oldest coeducational collegiate debating society in the United States.

History
See also: History of Bates College § Brooks Quimby Debate Council
The third trophy wall of the debate society in Pettigrew Hall.

The formation of the team predates the establishment of the college itself as the debate society was founded within the Maine State Seminary. Professor Jonathan Stanton, who taught at Bates from 1863 to 1918, was instrumental in encouraging the early debate societies at Bates in the 1860s and the sophomore debate prize. In 1869 the State of Maine gave separate charters to two of Bates' first debating and literary societies, the Polymnian Society and Eurosophian Society.[6] As early as the 1870s, women were participating the debate contests at Bates.[7] From 1901 to 1903 William Trufant Foster led the Bates debate program. Bates' debate society was eventually headed by Bates alumnus and teacher Brooks Quimby, Class of 1918, and became the first intercollegiate international debate team in the United States. Quimby Debate Society has been noted as "America's most prestigious debating society."[8] During the 1930s, the debate society was subject to 'The Quimby Institute' which pitted each and every debate student against Brooks Quimby himself. This is where he began to engage heated debate with them that stressed "flawless assertions" and resulted in every error made by the student to be carefully scrutinized and teased.[9]

During the Chase presidency, the college's debate team became intercollegiate and associated with the college's academic reputation.[10][11] The debate society became the first college debate team in the United States to compete internationally.[9]

In February 1920, the debate team defeated Harvard College during the national debate tournament held at Lewiston City Hall. After this, Bates was established as a dominant force in collegiate debate. In 1921, the college's debate team participated in the first intercontinental collegiate debate in history against the Oxford Union's debate team at the University of Oxford.

In 1922, The New York Times called Bates "the power centre of college debating in America."[5] Oxford's first debate in the United States was against Bates in Lewiston, Maine, in September 1923.[2][9]

Academic scarf of the Brooks Quimby Council

Membership and status

It competes in the American Parliamentary Debate Association domestically, and competes in the World Universities Debating Championships, internationally. In 2014, the council won US Nationals at the US Universities Debating Championship. As of 2013, the debate council was ranked 5th, nationally.[3] In 2012, the debate team was ranked 9th in the world.[4]

Notable alumni
United States Secretary of State, Edmund Muskie.
Main article: List of Bates College people
Civil rights leader, mentor to Martin Luther King, and 6th President of Morehouse College, Benjamin Mays.
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See also

References
  1. Clark, Charles E. (2005). Bates Through the Years: an Illustrated History. Edmund Muskie Archives: Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. p. 37. Oxford's Union has been historical characterized as the playground of the powerful, but with the mounting power the alumni of Brooks have accumulated it is clear to see the society is the playground of the powerful in the states.
  2. "Oxford and Bates to Meet in Debate". Google News Archives. Lewiston Daily Sun. 29 August 1923. p. 14. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  3. "Bates debate ranks fifth in nation, including key win at Yale Inter-Varsity Tournament | News | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-07.
  4. "Bates debate hits No. 9 in global ranking". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
  5. "Bates debates Harvard at City Hall | 150 Years | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  6. Acts and Resolves as Passed by the Legislature (1869) Page 109 https://books.google.com/books?id=T0ZNAQAAMAAJ
  7. http://abacus.bates.edu/muskie-archives/EADFindingAids/CA1204.html
  8. Burns, John F. (November 27, 2007). "Oxford Union girds for far-right debate Protesters vow 'anti- fascist' rally". International Herald Tribune.
  9. Clark, Charles E. (2005). Bates Through the Years: an Illustrated History. Edmund Muskie Archives: Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. p. 37.
  10. "George C. Chase | 150 Years | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
  11. "Student Clubs and Organizations | Campus Life | Bates College". www.bates.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-11-23. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
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