1956-1957

 

The Yearbook said

 

Left to right: Othal Lakey, Betty Vaughn, Evelyn Robinson, and Byron Ehle.

The Varsity Debate squad made a very successful showing during the 1956-1957 season. The team won a first place and two seconds at the tournament held at Pacific Lutheran College in the early fall. The next month saw them continue their winning streak as they captured another first and two seconds at the Columbia Valley Tournament at W. S. C. junior Varsity debaters held their own against teams from Washington, Montana, and Idaho, as they journeyed to the Idaho Invitational and took two more second places.

In April, two teams, representing Whitman Theta Chapter of Pi Kappa Delta, traveled to Brookings, South Dakota, for the National Pi Kappa Delta tournament which is held every two years. Members of the Varsity Debate team included Othal Lakey, Tim Hill, Byron Ehle, Betty Vaughan, Evelyn Robinson, Kirsten Johnson, Marietta Stark, Dennis O'Brien, Mike Hagan, Bruce Campbell, Ian Tervet, Dick Powell, Butch Coe, Mike Irvine, and Ron Knutson.

The Faculty

Dean McSloy, Director of Forensics

Betty Vaughan and Byron Elhe, Debate co-managers

 

Arlene DuMond

Instructor in Speech

B.F.A., M.F.A., Carnegie Institute of Technology

 

 

Whitman News

A.     The college added 8 new professors to the faculty

1.      In the division of arts and letters, John D. Reeves, instructor of classics; and Arthur P. Metastasio, instructor of modern languages, were added.

2.      New to the division of social sciences were Dr. Homer T. Knight, associate professor of education; Hauton B. Lee, instructor of education; Merle E. Meyer, instructor of psychology; and John G. Ranlett, instructor of economics.

3.      Don L. Manley joined the science department as an associated professor of physics. Robert Bennet joined the physics department in early February.

4.      Miss Mary Jane Corry was hired by the conservatory of music as an instructor of piano and harpsichord.

B.     Larry Lutcher was the student body president.

C.     Chester C. Maxey was the college president.

A.     The L.F. Anderson estate was purchased by the college. This 12-room residence on the college campus is now know to us as Baker Faculty Center.

B.     Vice President Nixon came to Walla Walla. His motorcade passed Whitman on its way downtown from the airport. There were so many students lining Issacs that Nixon stopped to address the crowd. He urged the students to be attentive of national and international politics, and to be active, involved citizens.

C.     Classes were cancelled Friday, February 2, 1957, as all students were expected to help move the contents of the old library into the new library. 500 students showed up to offer assistance, and Penrose Memorial Library officially opened with a ceremony Sunday evening.

D.     The Pioneer ran advertisements for Viceroy cigarettes and General Electric.

 

 

  Intramural Debate

 

INTRAMURAL WINNERS-Left to right: Betty Vaughn presenting the trophy to Marietta Stark and Gloria Lewis. Doug Cole and Denny Ashlock receiving the award from Byron Ehle.

 

Winners in the Intramural Tournament sponsored by the Varsity Debate team were Gloria Lewis and Marietta Stark, representing the Independent women, and Denny Ashlock and Doug Cole, debating for Phi Delta Theta. Runners up in the Tourney were Kirsten Johnson and Charlotte McCroskey, Alpha Phi, and Bob Halvorsen and Mike Irvine, Independent Men.

The topic for debate throughout the year was; Resolved: That the United States should discontinue direct economic aid to foreign countries.

 

Speech Major and Courses

THE MAJOR: Thirteen hours selected from courses in speech; Dramatic Art 47, 48; twelve hours selected from English 25, 26, 35, 36, 39, 40, 75, 76, 79, 80; three hours selected from History 27, 28, 57, 58, 61, 62, 64. Of the total of thirty-six hours, eighteen must be in courses numbered above 50. Advised: As much additional work in dramatic art as time permits.

SPEECH 11, 12. Fundamentals of Speech, 3 hours.

SPEECH 41. Theory and Practice of Discussion, 3 hours.

SPEECH 42. Argumentation and Persuasion, 3 hours.

SPEECH 43, 44. Principles and Practice of Debate, 2hours.

SPEECH 51. Business and Professional Speech, 3 hours.  

SPEECH 53. Introduction to Radio and Television, 3 hours.

SPEECH 72. Radio Production and Direction, 3 hours.

SPEECH 78. Oral Interpretation, 3 hours.

SPEECH 80. Voice Science and Phonetics, 3 hours.

SPEECH 81. Introduction to Speech Correction, 3 hours.

SPEECH 82. Problems in Speech Correction, 2 or 3 hours

SPEECH 85, 86. Senior Honors Course, 3 hours.

 

 

World News

·         Internationally, it was a tense time. The U.S. and Russian were arguing over oil control, which contributed to Middle East tensions over the Suez Canal, seized by Egypt. In Europe, Hungary's dictator, Tito, was making headlines with his communist politics.

·         In the United States, President Eisenhower swept the national election, to be reelected for a second term. He won his decisive victory by a margin of 10 million votes, the largest majority ever!

·         Large-scale opposition to French rule forced the French to grant independence to
Morocco and Tunisia.

·         Previously under joint Egyptian-British rule, the Sudanese voted for and was granted independence.

·         “The first transatlantic telephone cable between Newfoundland and Scotland was completed” which ran 2,250 miles.

·         The Suez War occurred began when the Israeli Defense Forces attacked Egyptian forces in the Sinai. British and French forces became involved but withdrew due to American pressure, backed up by Russian threats.

·         The Cuban Revolution begins.

·         An oral vaccine for Polio is introduced.

·         “In China all individually owned enterprises are transferred to joint state-private ownership.”

·         “The U.S. drops a hydrogen bomb on Bikini Atoll - a test.”

·         “In South Africa, Nelson Mandela and 150 others arrested and charged with treason.”

 

 

 

The Theta Chapter of Pi Kappa Delta was in- stalled on the Whitman campus in the spring of 1955. The officers for the year 1956-1957 are Othal Lakey, president; Evelyn Robinson, vice-president; and Bet- ty Vaughan, secretary.

In the P. L. C. tournament the team of O'Brien and Hagan took first in the Junior Men's Debate, the team of Lakey and Ehle tied for second in Senior Men's Debate, and Lakey won a second in Senior Men's Oratory and a third in Senior Men's Extemporaneous speaking. In the W. S. C. tournament Vaughen and Robinson tied for first in Senior Women's Debate, Johnson and Stark won second in Senior Women's Debate, and O'Brien and Hagan tied for second in Men's Debate. In the Inland Empire Tournament at Moscow, Idaho, the team of Vaughan and Robinson and the team of O'Brien and Hagan tied for second.

 

Team Awards

·         At the Pacific Lutheran Forensic Tournament, Dennis O'Brien and Mike Hagan took 1st place in junior men, after winning every round. Othal Lakey and Byron Elhe took 2nd in senior men. Lakey also won a 2nd and a 3rd in individual events, and O'Brien tied for 3rd in his IE round. Overall, the Whitman team had 20 wins and only 10 losses, in a field of 150 competitors from 15 schools.

·         Sixteen debaters traveled to the Washington State College Invitational Debate Tournament. Betty Vaughan and Evelyn Robinson tied for 1st, in their division, with a record of 5 wins - 1 loss. Kirsten Johnson and Marietta Stark were 2nd. Dennis O'Brien and Maike Hagan tied for 2nd place in juniors.

·         The Inland Empire Tournament at the University of Idaho yielded a second place tie to the Whitman teams of Vaughan and Robinson and O'Brien and Hagan. Both had records of 5 wins and 1 loss.

·         Eight debaters attended the Linfield Tournament of Champions. Othal Lakey placed 1st in oratory, Betty Vaughan placed 1st in interpretive reading, Evelyn Robinson placed 1st in after-dinner speaking, and Hagan and O'Brien were two of the six finalists in extemporaneous speaking. Competitors came from 42 different schools to compete at Linfield.

·         The Pi Kappa Delta tournament sent two teams to Brookings, South Dakota .

·          The Triangular debate, held at Whitman College, was the third in a row Whitman won, meaning that they got to keep the gold cup permanently.

·         Othal Lakey was the president of Pi Kappa Delta.