"Great Debaters": Lincoln University v. Oxford University in 1925
The Lincoln News of February 1, 1927 reports that Lincoln University was the winner of the first interracial, international debate in 1925, held at Bethel AME Church in Baltimore, against a team from Oxford University. For the story, CLICK HERE.
That "1925" is a typo (suggested by the fact that the article was published in February 1927, an unlikely time lapse for a 1925 event to be reported) is confirmed by another report of the same event in another campus publication, The Lincoln University Herald, which identifies the date as December 1926.
You can also do a search for other stories in the student newspapers, The Lincoln News and The Lincolnian by going the Lincoln website, clicking on Library, clicking on Special Collections and Archives, clicking on Digital Collections, Clicking on Lincoln News and Lincolnians, following the link to the database, and then following the directions under the Search tab.
Melvin Tolson, the subject of the recent Denzel Washington film, The Great Debaters, graduated from Lincoln, but unfortunately it was in 1923, which was several years before the first student newspaper was published. However, the Lincolnians report that Tolson visited Lincoln several times, and following his death in 1966 the English club was renamed the Tolson Society.
That "1925" is a typo (suggested by the fact that the article was published in February 1927, an unlikely time lapse for a 1925 event to be reported) is confirmed by another report of the same event in another campus publication, The Lincoln University Herald, which identifies the date as December 1926.
You can also do a search for other stories in the student newspapers, The Lincoln News and The Lincolnian by going the Lincoln website, clicking on Library, clicking on Special Collections and Archives, clicking on Digital Collections, Clicking on Lincoln News and Lincolnians, following the link to the database, and then following the directions under the Search tab.
Melvin Tolson, the subject of the recent Denzel Washington film, The Great Debaters, graduated from Lincoln, but unfortunately it was in 1923, which was several years before the first student newspaper was published. However, the Lincolnians report that Tolson visited Lincoln several times, and following his death in 1966 the English club was renamed the Tolson Society.
posted by Susan Gunn Pevar | 7:13 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks Susan for sharing this. I knew that Lincoln was involved in such debates during Tolson's formative years at the institution, but the evidence was spotty. This solidifies the argument that debate at Lincoln during the 1920s was absolutely crucial and laid the foundation for the interracial debates of the 1930s.
Tim O'Donnell
University of Mary Washington
What a wonderful resource.
Is there evidence that Lincoln participated with intercollegiate debating with perhaps Fisk or Howard prior to the 1920s period.
Allan Louden
Wake Forest University
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