Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25
EDMUND GULL|ON,
CAPITAL BOY, WINS
U. S. ORATORY TITLE
Senior at Western High Is
Named Champion in
National Contest.
SECOND PLACE GIVEN
TO NEW YORK YOUTH
Vernon Withuhn of Seattle Award
ed Third Prize After Con-
sultation of Judges.

Edmund A. Gullion, The Stars rep
resentative, last night was declared the
champion high school orator of the
United States when he won the Ma
tional Oratorical Contest.
Second place went to Seymour M.
Peyser, II, Of New York City, and
third to Vernon Lawrence Withuhn,
10, of Seattle, Wash. It was necessary
to hold consultation Of judges to
select the winner. Under rules OF the
contest this must take place unless
one contestant is awarded first place
by five of the eight judges. The board
of judges was closeted almost a half
hour before arriving at a decision.
When DR.. Harold G. Campbell, assist
ant superintendent of New York City
public schools, announced the winner,
the audience broke into cheers that
could be heard outside Constitution
Hall, where the competition took place.
Enters World Contest.
Gullion's victory qualities him as 8
contestant in the fifth International
Oratorical Contest here in the Fall,
orators of Europe and the Americas.
The national champion Is II years
old and a senior at Western High
School. His parents are Lieut.. Col.
and Mrs. Allen w. Gullion Of $3.50
Northampton street. Col. Gullton Is
attached to the Judge advocate gen.
erals ofiice here.
AS soon as the enthusiasm Of the au-
dience had subsidized, the Western High
school student body, which attended
almost en- masse, broke into lusty
who brought to Washington its first
national oratorical championship.
Gullion's victory was won by his de-
livery of six-minute prepared speech
on John Marshall and Federal SUI
premacy," and four minute extern
poraneous talk on sMarshalps Part in
the Trial Of Aaron Burr, With Partic%
lar Reference to the Constitutional Is
sues" The well set-up, dark-haired lad
spoke in clear, powerful voice that
held the attention OF his audience. In
heights Of aloquence rarely witnessed
even in the national finals. His deliv-
cry tn the extempcraneous address WEE
considerably different. He appeared
more the young man who Is calmly dis
cvssing subject with which he is COM
pletely familiar with group Of friends.
without ostentation or any striving tor
effect.
Peyser, the second-place winner, is
q senior aG the 6OIace MhIiu 11lSu
school for Boys In New York City. His
father Is q certified public accountant.
Withuhn Is the son Of Mrs. Elsie
withuhn Of 2222 West Sixty-fourth
street, Seattle. His father Is dead.
List Of Judges.
Judges were Postmaster General
Waiter r. Brown, Senators Watson OF
Indiana, Couzens of Michigan, Bing-
ham of Connecticut and Black of Ala
bama, DR.. L. s. Rowe, director general
Of the Pan-American Union; Dr.. Cloyd
Heck Marvin, president Of George
Washington University, and Rev. DR.:
w. Coleman Nevis, S. j., president OF
Georgetown University. It first was
planned to have nine judges, but
Nicholas Longworth, Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives, who would
have completed the group, was called
away from the city.
As soon as Gullion received the VIC
tors cup from DR.. Campbell, he was
almost swamped by youths who clam
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