Evening star., 1927-05-14
GIRL AMONG THREE
0RATORY WINNERS
Dorothy Carlson of Utah Gets
Place in Finals to Be
Held Here.

While boys were winning in two
Eastern regional finals last night, a
Salt Lake City girl triumphed over
seven young men in the Western zone
finals at Los Angeles, giving the
young women their first place in the
fourth National Oratorical Contest
finals to be held in the Washington
Auditorium. May 27.
The lone girl winner is Dorothy
Carlson of Salt Lake City, Utah, and
that States first entry in the National
Oratorical Contest.
The victorious boys in the Eastern
zone finals last night are: Jefferson
Meagher Of Binghamton, N. Y, who
won at New York City, and James
M. Tunnel. jr. of Georgetown. Del,
winner at Philadelphia.
Miss Carlson is II years old and,
in addition to being her States first
oratorical contest representative, she
is the first girl ever to win the
right to represent the Western zone
in the national contest here. Her
victory was outstanding, too, because
she was the only girl in a.. field of
eight speakers.
Victory No Novelty.
Jefferson Meagher, who, by virtue
of his victory in Town Hall, New
York City, will represent the zone
embracing most of New York State,
northern New Jersey and Connecti-
cut in the national finals. Is l8 years
old and a senior at the Binghamton
High School He is president OF the
senior class and an honor student
throughout his high school course.
He won the contest with an Grafton
on "The Constitution"
Victory is no novelty to young
Meagher, for he won also the 1876
Franco-American contest, which was
sponsored by the American Goodwill
Association. Tn that conquest he was
awarded a trip to the Pacific Coast.
He plans to enter Hamilton College
in the Fall.
James Tunnel, jr., is Is years OLD.
and he won with a speech on "The
Constitution" In his victory young
Tunnel defeated seven other boys.
Last nights three contests carried
out the trend of i'll luck for the home
contestants" those who represent the
city In. which the regional finals are
held. Strangely enough, five OF the
six zone finals already have been won
by orators who have journeyed to
the scene of battle from other towns.
First OF all, William Alexander
Loker, The Stars repr sentative in
the national contest, came to Wash.
ington as the representative OF Leon
ardtown, Md, and defeated eight of
this cityss orators. Then Carl e. Al.
bert of McAlester, Okla, won in
Kansas City, where the Midwest
finals We're staged, defeating the
Kansas City entrant.
Girls Fare Badly.
The New York contestants were de-
feated by the Binghamton boy, the
Philadelphia representatives were con-
uuered by the Delaware contender
and the Los Angeles spokesmen lost
to the Salt Lake City girl. Maxwell
Lancaster of Birmingham, Ala, is the
only contestant to win in q contest
held in his city, this year.
Miss Carlson's victory at Los An
geles gives hope for the fulfillment of
the recent forecast of Randolph Leigh
that the national finals contest field
would be composed of five boys and
two girls. The boys quota is already
filled and Chicago will complete the
score when it's finals are held May II.
The girls had Jared pretty sadly in
the contests prior to last night, and
National Contest officials were begin
ming to fear lest they should fail en-.
tirely to make" the finals. A girl
victory was expected rather from New
York, where three young women held
places in the contestant field OF eight.
In Los Angeles Miss Carlson was the
only girl, and at Philadelphia all eight
contenderS were boys.