Biography

The Debating Society of Boston College was founded by Robert Fulton, SJ, in 1868. The first entry in the society's minute book, dated November 21, 1868, records the adoption of its constitution. In 1890, under the moderatorship of A. J. Mullen, SJ, the society adopted the name Fulton Debating Society in honor of its founder.

In 1902, the Marquette Debating Society was founded to provide debating opportunities for freshmen and sophomores, who were excluded from the Fulton Debating Society. The Marquette Prize Medal was renamed the Gargan Medal in 1924 and thereafter awarded to the second-best speaker of the Fulton. By the late 1950s the Marquette Debating Society had integrated with the Fulton Debating Society.

Prior to the university's relocation to Chestnut Hill in 1913, debates took place annually in Boston College Hall and drew students and lay spectators from across the city. The winner received a gold medal, among the highest honors available to a BC student at the time. Upon the move to Chestnut Hill, the Fulton Debating Society was among the first organizations to receive dedicated space, occupying a room in Gasson Hall whose walls remain adorned with portraits of noted orators and a list of past Fulton Prize Debate winners.

After its first intercollegiate debate against Georgetown University in 1895, the Fulton competed against many notable institutions. Perhaps the most notable victory of the Fulton Debating Society came in 1928 against Harvard University before a sold-out Symphony Hall, holding an audience of almost 3,500. The spectacular and overwhelming victory against “the gentlemen from across the Charles” was hoped by The Heights to “remove much of the silly prejudice that unfortunately exists now in both institutions among certain groups.” Through the 1940s, members traveled throughout Boston and surrounding states staging debate exhibitions. During this period intercollegiate debate evolved toward a tournament format, culminating in the creation of the National Debate Tournament in 1947. In 1964, James Unger and Joseph McLaughlin finished second at the National Debate Tournament.

The society is currently housed within the Communication Department. Awards available to members include the gold Fulton Prize, the silver Gargan Medal, and the Quinn, McLaughlin, and Duffy awards, as well as the annual Fultonian of the Year recognition. The Fultonian, the society's publication, continues in largely online form with holdings extending to the mid-1980s.

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