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Legendary Debaters Throughout Time Print E-mail
The following historic and public figures participated in academic debate as young people before going on to lead successful lives.
  • Floyd Abrams (a famous first amendment attorney) debated for Cornell University.
  • Aristotle, ancient Greek philosopher
  • United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan competed in the early 1960's.
  • Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto
  • David Bloom (#1 bid to NDT for Claremont) was an NBC correspondent, reporting on most national stones for the network (Unabomber, Starr Investigation, etc.). Was an embedded correspondent In Iraq at the time of his death.
  • Tom Brokaw is rumored to have debated at South Dakota State.
  • Nancy Cartwright the voice of cartoon character Bart Simpson
  • Erwin Chemerinsky (debated for Northwestern) is a law professor at USC and legal affairs commentator on CNN, MSNBC, etc.
  • Marcia Clark (lead prosecutor on the O.J. Simpson case) was a debater, competed in mock trial competitions. The same is true of O.J. Simpson's defense attorneys, Robert Shapiro and Johnny Cochran.
  • Former US President William Jefferson Clinton competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate
  • James Madison Copeland, former Executive Director of the National Forensic League, said that several years ago a survey of U.S. Senators and Representatives revealed that over 60% had participated in high school or college forensics programs. A Study reported on IE-L, the Internet List-Serve for Individual Events and Lincoln Douglas Debate, claimed that half of the current U.S. Senators competed in high school or college forensics programs, including Humphrey, Hefling, Boren, and now-deposed Packwood.
  • Admiral William Crows, Four Star General, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
  • William Hague, Member of the British Parliament and Leader of the Conservative Party
  • Former CEO of Chrysler Lee lacocca
  • Former President, Lyndon Johnson, taught high school debate In Texas and went on to put several of his debaters in high-ranking positions in his administration.
  • Former President John Fitzgerald Kennedy
  • John Laroquette, star of Night Court, John Laroquette Show & Happy Family, went to college on a forensics scholarship
  • Allen Lichtman (debated for Brandeis, coached at Harvard) is a regular guest commentator on public policy and political issues for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc.
  • Shelley Long, Actress (Cheers)
  • Former British Prime Minister John Major
  • Former South African President Nelson Mandela
  • George McGovern, Senator, South Dakota, former democratic candidate for President
  • Edmund Muskie, Senator; Former Democratic candidate for Vice President and Secretary of State under Jimmy Carter.
  • Former President Richard Nixon was a debater in California.
  • Jane Pauley, News Anchor and talk show host
  • Stone Phillips, News Anchor
  • Brad Pitt, Actor
  • Plato, ancient Greek philosopher
  • Former Attorney General Janet Reno
  • Tom Ridge, Secretary of Homeland Security and former Pennsylvania Governor, competed in debate for Cathedral Prep High School in Erie, PA.
  • Robert Shrum (debated for Georgetown, cached at Boston College,) is a political consultant and feature guest on Crossfire, C-SPAN, the Capitol Gang, etc.
  • Socrates, ancient Greek philosopher
  • John Kennedy's speech writer and executive assistant Ted Sorenson, not only debated in high school and college, but is rumored to have been able to construct antitheses like the ones that made JFK's speeches so memorable in the middle of his debate rounds. In his book, "the Uncertain Trumpet," General Maxwell Taylor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff not only mentions that he was a former high school debater, but attributes his sues in politics and the military high command to his involvement in debate.
  • Larry Summers (former MIT debater, Harvard nomics professor) was an economic advisor for the World Bank and Clinton's chief economic advisor
  • Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
  • 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
  • Ted Turner, Media mogul
  • John Wayne, Actor
  • Former President Woodrow Wilson is a former debate coach.
  • Oprah Winfrey competed in Lincoln-Douglas Debate in high school and competed at the National Forensic League nationals.
  • Malcolm X, Freedom Fighter
 
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