Preserving a Defining Moment in Oregon Forensics History

A defining chapter of Oregon Forensics history was formally preserved with the publication of

Defending and Challenging American Empire: The 1927–28 University of Oregon Forensics Program World Debate Tour and the November 25, 1927, Manila “Debate of the Century.”

Authored by former Directors of Forensics Trond Jacobsen and David Frank, the article stands as both rigorous scholarship and an act of institutional stewardship—ensuring that one of the most ambitious achievements in collegiate debate history is neither forgotten nor diminished with time.

The First University World Debate Tour

The article documents the University of Oregon’s 1927–1928 World Debate Tour, the first university-sponsored debate tour to circle the globe. Over the course of more than six months, Oregon debaters traveled across four continents, engaging international audiences in public debate at a moment when global questions of democracy, empire, and self-determination were far from abstract.

This tour placed Oregon Forensics on the world stage, demonstrating the power of debate as a vehicle for education, diplomacy, and public engagement across cultures.

The Manila “Debate of the Century”

At the center of the account is the now-legendary November 25, 1927, debate at the Manila Opera House—widely remembered as the “Debate of the Century.” Before thousands in attendance, Filipino advocates for independence confronted American imperial authority through disciplined, principled argument, using the tools of debate to challenge empire on its own democratic terms.

The Manila debate stands as one of the most consequential moments in the history of international collegiate debate and remains a powerful example of argument as civic force.

Oregon Forensics as a Shaper of History

What this publication makes clear is that Oregon Forensics was not merely participating in history—it was helping to shape it. The World Debate Tour exemplified a commitment to intellectual courage, international engagement, and the belief that reasoned advocacy could bridge cultures while also exposing deep political tensions.

In this moment, debate functioned simultaneously as an educational practice and a public reckoning with power, identity, and self-determination.

Honoring the Work of Our Former Directors

This work also reflects the values of its authors. As former Directors of Forensics, Trond Jacobsen and David Frank brought to this project not only scholarly expertise but a deep sense of responsibility to the program’s past, present, and future.

Drawing extensively from archival materials, their research recovers voices, events, and arguments that situate Oregon Forensics at the very origins of international collegiate debate.

A Legacy We Share with Pride

We share this publication with pride—not only as recognition of an extraordinary historical achievement, but as affirmation of a tradition that continues to define Oregon Forensics: the conviction that argument matters, that ideas travel, and that students armed with reason can engage the world in ways that endure.