SUMMARY, 1868-1897

Curricular speech work started at Maine in 1868 as a part of the course in Rhetoric.  By the close of 1897, there were two course in Rhetoric and one in Declamations available through the English Department.  Both President Allen and Professor Estabrooke were emphasizing the need for more instruction in this field.

In a period of 23 years, Public Speaking courses at the University of Maine made great strides.  In 1897, only three courses were available in the Department of English, but in 1919, 12 courses were available in the Department of Public Speaking.  It was in 1902 that the first course designated as "Public Speaking" was held, and four years later the first instructor in Public Speaking was on the staff of the English Department.  The Fall of 1915 had seen the opening of a Department of Public Speaking, and after a lapse of one year during the war, the department re-opened with more courses than before.  In 1919-1920, there were 1,213 students attending the University of Maine, approximately four times as many as in 1897.

Professor Mark Bailey arrived at the University of Maine in 1920.  He taught eight courses including dramatic reading and play production.  The Department of Public Speaking was divided into two divisions: Speaking Courses and Courses in Expression.   Courses offered dealing with Journalism remained under the Department of Engish.  Journalism courses included History of Journalism, Newspaper Ethics and Principles and Journalistic Compostion.

Maine State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts founded.
 

First declamation contests were held July 24 and August 1, 1871.  They consisted of a contest in original oratory and a contest including both narration and oratory.

President Allen pointed out the need for more speech training in his annual report.

"The students need a thorough course of systematic instruction in the principles of elocution and voice-building from some one who could devote the necessary time, by which the well-disciplined vocal organs could easily, correctly and forcibly express every shade of thought and sentiment.  The graduates should be good readers and speakers" (President's Report, 1877, p. 10.).

The term "Public Speaking" first appeared.  The study of English included some work in extemporaneous public speaking.
 

"The study of English begins with a brief review of the principles of grammatical analysis as an introduction to the subsequent study of Composition, which in turn becomes preparatory to the more formal study of Rhetoric.  Once a week there is an exercise in public speaking, extemporaneous in form" (Circular of Information, Maine State College, The Journal Publishing Company, Bangor, 1892, p. 27).

Complete descriptions of speech courses provided for the first time in catalog announcements.  Courses were transferred to the newly organized Department of English.
 

A1.  Rhetoric -- ...fortnightly exercises in extemporaneous speaking... A2.  Rhetoric -- ...exercises in extemporaneous speaking and writing as in A1. A3  Declamation -- An attempt is made to train the student to study his author intelligently, to deliver his voice correctly, to use appropriate inflections and emphasis, to illustrate his thought by fitting gestures, to gain self control and to acquire a good stage presence.

When college opened for the 1897-1898 sessions, the students came to the University of Maine for the first time.  The state legislature had agreed to the change, and now both B.S. and B.A. degrees were to be granted.

Three men in the English Department taught the courses dealing with speech.
Professor Estabrooke taught Declamations and Themes; Mr. Thayer handled part of the Themes; Mr. Upton had Rhetoric and the rest of the Themes.

First course designated as "Public Speaking" was listed in the university catalog.  Mr. Eby, a new man in the English Department taught the course and assigned Riddle's Modern Reader and Speaker as the textbook.

Eh 1.  Public Speaking -- The purpose of this course is to give the student a practical knowledge of the fundamental principles of effective public speaking.
 

There were now three distinct speech courses: Public Speaking, Forensic Writing, and Oral Debate.
 

New faculty member, Windsor Daggett, handled the speech courses already offered, and added Advanced Public Speaking.

The English Department was split into Courses of Composition, Courses in Public Speaking, and Courses in Literature.  This separation of Public Speaking from the other English courses might well be considered the embryonic state of the Public Speaking Department which was to be established in a few years.

Mr. Ketcham was appointed to the faculty to teach debate.  That provided an opportunity for a student to have three years' work in argumentation.

Curriculum in Journalism established.  Students who completed this curriculum receive the Bachelor of Arts degree for major work in English.  Three journalism courses appeared in the catalog.

The newly-founded Department of Public Speaking took over all speech courses with Professor Daggett as head of the department and Mr. Cranston as his assistant.

"The duty of the state university to provide extensive training in public speaking is plain... Any citizen, no matter how humble, may be trained to raise his voice in the councils of the community, state and nation.  The privilege of free public speech is the only means of communication with his fellow man which cannot be close to him..." (V.A. Ketcham, "Public Speaking in State Universities", Educational Review, February, 1917, p. 152.).

This was the only year during the University's history that no speech courses were available.  During the summer of 1918, Professor Daggett had been called into the armed forces, and no one was appointed to replace him.   The curriculum in Journalism was still offered.  Three courses in the English department were journalism specific.

Professor Harriman was the new head of department, and handled all classes himself.  He added three new courses: Teachers' Training in Play Production, Speech Defects, and Dramatic Literature.  The department now offered the following courses:  Public Speaking, Argumentation, Parliamentary Law, Speech Defects, Teachers' Training Course in Play Production, and Dramatic Literature -- Tragedy, Melodrama, Comedy, Farce, The Pageant. Under the Department of English, two journalism courses were offered including Practical Journalism.  This course consisted of editing or reporting for the university newspaper, The Maine Campus.

Mark Bailey's first year at the University of Maine.  Bailey taught eight courses including dramatic reading and play production.

Within the Department of English, Journalistic Composition was the only journalism course offered. Mark Bailey and Francis Wallace taught 7 courses in the Department of Public Speaking.

Courses offered dealing with Journalism remained under the Department of Engish.  Journalism courses included History of Journalism and Newspaper Ethics and Principles.   The Department of Public Speaking was divided into two divisions: Speaking Courses and Courses in Expression.

The Department of Speech was established in 1939.

The primary function of the Department of Speech is to offer courses in all phases of speech education, including formal and inform speech, debate, radio, voice, speech correction, expresssion, and theatre.

Courses offered dealing with Journalism fell under the Department of English Literatureand Composition.  Professor Coggeshall taught five courses.

The Department of Speech separated into two divisions: Division of Speech, Radio, and Debate and Division of Theatre.
 

The Department of Speech first offered a major in Speech and/or Theatre.
 

Courses normally found under the Department of English were temporarily omitted.

Journalism courses appeared once again under the Department of English in 1946.  Professor Jordan taught all six courses offered.   The Department of Speech continued to offer majors in both Speech and Theatre.

The Department of Journalism was established in 1948.  Professor Jordan taught all courses offered. The courses in Journalism are designed to provide, within the liberal arts program, professional guidance for those who plan careers as reporters or editors.