The organization agreed and when Robert Trapp's offer to host the 1995 tournament was accepted, Gary agreed to bring the Irish team to Salem. When Gary stepped down in the Spring of 1997, the NPDA agreed to act as sponsor of the Irish teams U. S. tour. The Irish National Team has been present at every tournament beginning with Willamette in 1995. No one could have predicted the rapid growth of the National Parliamentary Debate Association with the Championship Tournament growing every year from the 52 teams in 1994 to more than two hundred at the present time with some teams being turned away. After CEDA was founded, it was several years before any tournament attracted enough teams to offer even quarterfinals.
Several people deserve credit for the established and growth of the organization.
Parliamentary Debate would never have gotten started if it had not been for the knowledge and determination of Gwendolyn Fayne. Gwen gave the organization some credibility by publishing three Journals. Sadly, her participation was cut short by her transfer from the Air Force Academy. Al Johnson deserves credit for having the experience and the contacts to not only persuade local tournaments in the Rocky Mountain Region to offer divisions of Parliamentary Debate and later to do the same in the Pacific Northwest. Without these efforts Parliamentary might never had lasted beyond that first Air Force Tournament in 1991.