MCPL001714

Description:	NATIONAL CONSTITUTIONAL CONTESTIn the spring of 1924 much attention was paid all overthe country to the National Oratorical Contests between HighSchools. The subject chosen for the oration was the Constitution of the United States. The contest was sponsored bythe large newspapers of the country for the purpose of creating aninterest in and a knowledge of the constitution. As a means ofelimination the country was divided into a series of zones andthe states were divided into a series of territories. The territories were divided into districts and each High School in eachdistrict chose its six best orators. Indianapolis was the centerof our territory and the contest in this state was sponsored bythe Indianapolis News.Each pupil in the Bloomington High Schoolwas required to write an oration. The High Schooland University libraries were thrown open for theuse of the students and lectures on the constitutionwere given during convocation periods. The conditions of the contest were that the oration should notexceed twelve minutes in length. Forty-five of theessays submitted by the entire school were granted apreliminary hearing on February 28th, and fromthese ten best were chosen.Ruth Kirby took the first prize in the localelimination contest: the other contestants in the finaltry-out of the Bloomington High School were RuthAxtell, Charles Holder, John Henry Johnson, Elizabeth Eagleson, and Eugene Eubelhardt.Page Eighty
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloom/id/2285
Collection:	Bloomington High School

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