Habersham-Fulton County GaArchives News.....Record Breaking House Will Greet College Orators at Grand Friday April 24 1902
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Denise Murphy denisemurphy13@msn.com November 23, 2004, 4:33 pm

The Constitution, Atlanta, GA
Record Breaking House Will Greet College Orators at Grand Friday
The fifth annual contest of the Georgia State Oratorical Association, which 
occurs in Atlanta Friday night, is going to surpass all such events which have 
occurred in Atlanta in the past.  It is estimated that the number of college 
boys and girls who will be in Atlanta the day of the contest will be away 
above 1,000 and the city will be literally turned over to them.

Although the contest does not take place until Friday it was impossible to 
obtain seats at the Grant yesterday lower than the second balcony.  The 
officials at the Grand are anticipating the record attendance for the house.  
However, the officers of the association have taken every precaution for 
controlling the crowds, and the presidents of the local associations promise 
that the boys will keep the best of order.

Mercer thinks that she will add another to her string of four victories, and 
the boys from that institution are coming to Atlanta with the hope of going 
home victorious.  Sidney Hatcher, who will represent Mercer, is said to be one 
of the best speakers that the college has ever turned out.  The boys believe 
in him and will give him their enthusiastic support.  Already 185 students 
have registered on the list of those who will attend, and it is thought that 
by the day of the contest this will be swelled to 250.

In addition to the students from the different colleges a very large number of 
graduates will be in Atlanta to attend the contest.  The boys who have left 
college within recent years have not lost interest in the contest, and many of 
them will be here to attend it.  Altogether prospects for the contest are most 
favorable, and those who are chiefly interested in it are confident that it 
will be the most successful event in the history of the association.

A feature of the contest will be the bevy of pretty college girls, whose 
presence always adds brilliance to the occasion and lends inspiration to the 
young orators.  It is expected that Agnes Scott, Wesleyan, Washington seminary 
and Cox college, as well as other female institutions, will send large 
delegations.  Each of the five colleges participating in the contest will be 
represented by sponsors.

The five young men who will present their best in oratory in the battle for 
the Graves medal are as follows: Sidney Hatcher, of Macon, for Mercer; Alfred 
C. Broom, of Newnan, for Emory; Charles E. Kicklighter, of Atlanta, for the 
Tech; Noel W. Grant, of Clarkesville, for the North Georgia Agricultural, and 
Sam Johnson, of Atlanta, for the state university.

Each of these speakers has proved his ability as a debater and declaimer and 
have been selected by their respective college with the confidence that they 
would come out of the fray victorious.  They have all been hard at work during 
the past several weeks getting in trim, and will go into the contest prepared 
to five a feast of oratory of a brilliant degree.  As in all collegiate 
contests, the different representatives are enthusiastic and confident.

Emory has won second place in the contest twice and hopes for a better showing 
this year.  Kicklighter represented the Tech last year, and although the 
school came out third, the boys were so well pleased with Kicklighter’s effort 
that he was again chosen.  The Tech boys are urging their representative as a 
winner.

The North Georgia Agricultural college has won third place for three 
consecutive years.  The students consider that this record is becoming 
monotonous and they believe they have picked a leader this year, who will 
relieve the monotony by forging ahead of the bunch into first place.  The boys 
from the state university are centering great hopes in their leader.  They 
feel satisfied that the other institutions will have to score a very fine 
record to get ahead of the university.

The arrangements for the contest have been in charge of Glenn Legwin, of the 
university, president of the association.  President Legwin has completed all 
of the details and everything is in readiness.

Thomas C. Trueblood, professor of oratory of the University of Michigan, will 
be master of ceremonies and will be introduced by President Legwin.

The judges on delivery have been selected and are as follows: Professor W. P. 
Trent, of Columbia; Dr. Alderman, of Tulane, and Walter H. Page, editor of The 
World’s Work.  The judges on composition will not be made known until tomorrow 
night.

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