Evening star., 1925-05-09
Robert Sessions, Is, Takes
National Title Before
Highest Officials.
COOLIDGE SOUNDS PEACE
NOTE IN OPENING SPEECH
Praises Result of Competition
Los Angeles Boy Is Awarded
Second Place.

Displaying an oralorical genius that
Visihly stirred an audienc" OF NOR"
than 5000 citizens, Robert Sessions
l5-year-old Birmingham. Ala. high
school boy was adiudged the cham
pion student orator Of the United
States and awarded first prize of S2."oo
by a distinguished committee of critics
at the elimination finals of the Ma
tional Oratorical Contest in the Wash
ington Auditorium last night,
Miss Asenath Graves. t6year-old
Eastern High School senior and cham
pion of the District of Columbia, was
awarded fifth prize of S4Oo
Robert, who represented the South
in the nationwide contest, won the
coveted honor from a field of com
petitors numbering, in the words OF
President Coolidge. who opened the
contest, "the well-night unbelievable
figure of 400. 600" The subject of his
Grafton was The Constitution.
Los Angeles Boy Second.
The committee of judges, composed
of Chief Justice Taft. Justice Van
Devanter. Justice Butler, Justice San
ford and Attorney General Sargent,
awarded second hOnors and prize
of 81 900 to Eugene f McElmeel "t
Los Angeles. 16-year-old Pacific cham
pion. Max n kroloff. II, of Sioux
City. Iowa. MidweStern champion. re-
ceived third prize of $500: Miss Flora
IOngeneCker. 10, of lion. \. Y. North
eastern champion, fourth prize of Si5o;
George Stanseli. Il. Of Chicago, H..
Central States champion. sixth award
of $3.50 and Philip Glatfelter, II. of
Columbia. Pa. Eastern champion.
seventh award of $500.
President Coolidge opened the com
petition with a significant address
woven about the merits of the National
OraoricaI Contest, but which struck
out into the broader field of interna-
tionai peace with solemn call to the
duty of full citizenship.
Text of Coolidge Speech.
He said:
we are gathered to signaliZe our
approval and attest our interest i'll
what has been. | presume, the greatest
competition of its kind ever held in
the world. The essential part of.-the-
program here win be the delivery of
seven addresses on the Constitution of
the United States. They will be de-
livered by their authors. students in
high schools, or private or paroChial
schools of like grade, throughout the
country. The contest originated in
the patriotic enterprise Of a group of
great newspapers, each paper assum-
ing the leadership in organizing COM
petitions, local and regional. in it's own
territory. The winners in the local
contests met later in regional ones.
the series of them completely cover
ing the Nation. The seven who are to
speak here tonight are the final sur
vivors of this process of elimination.
candidates for the highest national
hOnOrs.
Il was amazed to learn, as | am
sure my hearers will be- how many
students have participated in these
contests. Last year was the first COM
petition on a Nation wide scale. and
no less than 500, 900 addresses We're
prepared and delivered. This year
the number has increased to the well
nigh unbelievable figure of 1.400,0 600.
1t is certainly "A splendid demonstra-
tion Of the efficiency of our educa-
tional system, of the interest that has
been inspired in the study of our
country'S institutions. and of the
Jealous effort that has been put forth
by those who have organized and
directed the contests.
Praises Achievement.
1t must be matter of qualification
| ana OF profound assurance, TO every
| lover of our institutions. that so uni
versal a response should have been
| evoked by the invitation to partici-
pate in this striking effort. We ex-
| tend, of course. our first cons ngratula-
| tionS to these seven young men and
| women who have survived to the last
| lap Of the race. But in truth their
! achievement though it has brought so
much distinction to them as individ-
uals, is unimportant when contrasted
with the big and pregnant fact that
near million and a half of their feI-
! lows back at home have participated in
| the serious studies. the work of prepa
tion and Self-education, preparatory
! to this event. Speaking on this same
occasion a year ago, l observed that
| there never was a time when our
| institutions We're so universally be.
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