The 2005-2006 Claude Pepper Oratory Competition

Claude Pepper

The Pepper Foundation along with the Florida State University Speech and Debate Program are pleased to announce the 2005-2006 Claude Pepper Oratory Competition.

A total of six cash prizes ranging from $100 - $1,000 will be awarded to students who deliver the most persuasive speech on the chosen topic.

For more information about the competition, please visit the Claude Pepper Center as well the 2005-2006 Claude Pepper Oratory Competition - Downloads Section.

Senator Claude Pepper as an Orator

Senator Claude Pepper (1900-1989) was one of the most prolific and dynamic orators of the 20th century. His earliest training occurred when he was in the 9th grade as a member of the Heflin Literary Society at the local high school in Camp Hill, Alabama. He continued to cultivate his oratorical and debate skills as a member of the debate team while attending the University of Alabama-Birmingham and this training helped to prepare him for his studies at Harvard Law School.

In 1937 when Pepper first entered national politics as a freshman Senator, he was the third youngest elected member in that legislative body to serve at that time. His skill as a powerful orator and communicator compensated for his political inexperience and the young Senator soon attracted the attention of powerful Democratic members of Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The President recognized that he needed a voice in Congress to effectively communicate his political objectives for the nation and Pepper fulfilled that role as a defending champion of New Deal legislation, and, as a promoter of Lend Lease legislation. Throughout his 40-year plus political career, Senator Pepper used his oratorical skills to promote his viewpoint on several causes.

In many cases, his viewpoint was that of the common working American. Topics from his various speeches include: Seniors and Aging Issues, Health Care issues, Social Security Reform, Labor Issues, the Rights of Jews, the dangers of McCarthyism and Cold War politics, Equal Rights, Civil Rights, Crime and Drug Problems, Education, New Deal legislation, World War II and Lend-Lease legislation, and Foreign Affairs and Diplomatic Matters. The Pepper Library contains hundreds of written speeches on these and other topics. The Pepper Library also contains over 370 known audio and audio-visual recordings of Senator Pepper from the late-1930s to the late-1980s. All of these speeches have been indexed and are available to patrons upon request.