Ten orators, chosen as finalists from a field of 45, will compete for five prizes totalling $145.00 in the annual Boylston Speaking Contest Wednesday night in Paine Hall.

The potential Ciceros will give, from memory, works of English or American authors, either prose or poetry, and will be judged on their delivery, and its aptness to their subject. A speech of Oliver Wendell Holmes commemorating the Civil War dead, several selections from Stephen Vincent Benet, and excerpts from the works of Stephen Spender, are included on the program.

The finalists, in the order that they will speak, are: Robert B. Nichols '41, William H. Hughes, Jr. '41, John W. Sullivan '43, Philip Thayer '41, Arson E. Charles '42, David D. Henry '41, Leon S. Lyson '41, Harry Kupperstein '41, Richard L. Weinberg '43, and Stanley A. Freedman '43.

"Copey" to Be Honorary Judge

Judging the contest will be R. Ammi Cutter '22, Bernard DeVoto '20. Robert Frost '99, David McCord '21, and Kenneth B. Murdock '16. Charles T. Copeland '82, Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory, emeritus, who conducted the competitions regularly until his retirement in 1928, will be the honorary judge.

The contest, one of the oldest in the University, was founded in 1817 by Ward Nicholas Boylston in memory of his uncle, who established the Boylston professorship. The man who holds this chair is traditionally the conductor of the contest. Robert S. Hillyer 17 is in charge of this year's affair.

Originally the speeches given were Latin or Greek selections, but this year no contestant will deliver a classic oration. Last year's winner. Robert A. Brooks '41, gave the "Apologia" of Secrates in the original Greek.