Administrative materials, 1913 - 1996

In 1913, Bates Professor Craig Baird organized the Interscholastic Debate League to promote debate in high schools throughout Maine. Serving as a feeder program for the Bates Debate Council, prominent Bates alumni such as Brooks Quimby, who would later return to direct the league, Edmund S. Muskie, and Frank M. Coffin were first exposed to debate in this league. Administrative records include rosters, mailing lists, registration forms, newspaper clippings and histories of the league. The series also contains league correspondence from 1924 through 1968, as well as records from the league's annual tournament and debate clinic, including schedules, team rosters, group assignments, and final results. Procedural material includes manuals, league regulations, suggestions for judges, and topical handbooks for debate preparation.