Registration for all men intending to compete for the Boylston and Lee Wade Public Speaking Prizes, the third oldest award of the University, will close on Monday, February 24. All Seniors, Juniors, and Sophomores in good standing are eligible for these prizes. Competitors must be prepared with a memorized selection, about five minutes in length, from a standard literary work and must have their choice approved by Professor F. C. Packard Jr. '20.
The ten best speakers of the preliminary trials which will be held sometime early in March will be selected to appear in a final competition on April 3 in Sanders Theatre before a public audience.
The Lee Wade prize of $50 will be awarded the winner of the contest. This prize was established in 1915 by Dr. Francis Henry Wade in memory of his son whose name it bears and who participated in the Boylston contest while he was an undergraduate of Harvard. The competition this year marks the one hundred and twelfth consecutive contest of the prize's existence. This year the stipend of the second Boylston award has been raised from $30 to $35 while the first prize, which ranks second to the Lee Wade prize remains at $50. The Boylston prizes were founded in 1817 by Ward Nicholas Boylston in honor of his uncle who established the Boylston Professorship of Rhetoric and Oratory. It is the present holder of this chair. Professor Packard, who is in charge of the contest.
Contestants may speak in English, Latin, or Greek; but no selection in any language except English has won an award since George Santayana '86 won a second prize in his Junior year with a selection in Latin. Last year's winners were R. H. Jones '30, M. V. Anastos '30, H. G. Meyer '30, and Carlton Greene '30.
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