"We do not in the Harvard curriculum offer the kind of systematic instruction in public speaking that was the case in the 19th century," says Marquand Professor of English Lawrence Buell. "But it is a popular prize with a standing and popularity on campus that's worth mention. There are typically quite a few dozen contestants."
About twenty students entered the contest with speeches ranging from Cato to Medieval Latin to Elizabethan drama to twentieth century English poetry and prose. Approximately half a dozen entries were in Latin, according to Engell. "There was quite a wide variety in all," Engell says.
For students who entered the contest, the prize offered a unique chance to practice declamation as well as to win money.
"I enjoy public speaking and I honestly haven't done anything public speaking or acting related n a while," says Douthet.
Fred Hood, another contestant, says, "I've done it before. Public speaking is a neglected art."