The Parker Merrill Speech Competition was founded, and in part funded, by Middlebury’s first professor, Frederick Hall. When Hall was hired in 1806 he was immediately granted a two-year leave to study in Europe. While there, he was befriended by Daniel Parker, a wealthy American living in Paris, and when Hall fell ill, Parker lent him $180 to tide him over. As David Stameshkin writes in The Town’s College: Middlebury College 1800-1915, “When Hall tried to repay him, Parker refused to accept the money, saying that he liked to patronize the sciences. Hall decided to give the sum (along with $120 of his own money) to Middlebury College as a prize for undergraduates who excelled in public speaking.”
The tradition continues in 2019! This year’s prompt:
ADVOCATE! Rally our support for a cause that really matters.
Preliminary Round Auditions: Friday, April 5 from 2-5 pm in Axinn 103
Semifinal Round: Sunday, April 7 at 7:30 pm in Coltrane Lounge
Championship: Tuesday, April 16 at 7:30 in MAC Robison Hall
Details and registration at go/pm19