University of Virginia Library

STUDENTS' LITERARY SOCIETIES.

Connected with the university are two literary societies of long
standing—the Jefferson Society and the Washington Society. At weekly
meetings in their respective halls they hold debates and practice extemporaneous
and other forms of public speaking. Jointly they form the
Congress of the Debating Union and follow a procedure similar to that of
the national House of Representatives. Each society annually offers gold
medals for excellence in debating and oratory, and each organization yearly
contests for the prize offered by the Board of Visitors.

All intercollegiate contests are managed for the Societies by the
Debating and Oratorical Council. It sends competitors for the prizes of
the Southern Inter-State Oratorical Association, and of the Virginia State
Oratorical Association; and conducts a pentangular debate with four other
universities. Its present officers are M. L. Wallerstein, President; W. A.
Schmitt, Vice-President; C. W. Davis, Secretary; C. W. Paul, Adjunct
Professor of Public Speaking, Treasurer; J. B. Frazier, Jr., Assistant
Treasurer.

MEDALISTS.

1909-1910.

             

Jefferson Society Orator	Reuben Miller Holland
Washington Society Orator	Maurice Hirsch
Jefferson Society Debater	Stanley Matthews Cleveland
Washington Society Debater	Reid Stranger Fulton
Magazine Medalist for best Essay	Edwin Norton Moore
Magazine Medalist for best Story	Albert George Adam Balz
Magazine Medalist for best Verse	Jean Ross Irvine

The University of Virginia Magazine, designed to encourage literary
work among the students, is published by the students with the advisory
assistance of the Linden Kent Memorial School of English Literature, eight
months of the session.