84R6166 KSM-D
By: Paddie H.R. No. 1609
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The Wiley College debate team of Marshall won the
2014 Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament in March, and
this achievement indeed merits special recognition; and
WHEREAS, Composed of 23 first- and second-year students, the
team competed with the best debaters from 80 colleges and
universities at the largest Pi Kappa Delta tournament ever held;
after the winning totals were calculated, Wiley College emerged on
top with 60 awards; this was an impressive finish to a season that
included 373 tournament wins and several exhibition debates; and
WHEREAS, The Wiley College debate team has grown out of a rich
and storied past; the historically black college was founded in
1873 and is one of the oldest west of the Mississippi River; the
original debate team, which formed when Coach Melvin B. Tolson came
to the college in 1924, was not allowed to join Pi Kappa Delta, the
national forensics fraternity; nonetheless, they continued to
compete and in 1935 won a debate against the University of Southern
California, that year's Pi Kappa Delta national champions; and
WHEREAS, After Coach Tolson left the college in 1947, the
debate team disbanded; 60 years later, interest was revived when
Denzel Washington directed and acted in The Great Debaters, which
brought the drama of the 1935 debate team to the silver screen;
Mr. Washington later donated $1 million to Wiley College, and the
school's debate team was reestablished and named the Melvin B.
Tolson/Denzel Washington Forensics Society; and
WHEREAS, Under the guidance of Coach Chris Medina, the 2014
team truly earned the title of "The Great Debaters" over the course
of their notable season, which also included winning the tournament
at the Junior Varsity National Championships; they dedicated their
Pi Kappa Delta victory to Coach Tolson's teams from 1924 to 1947;
and
WHEREAS, The talented young men and women of the Wiley
College 2014 debate team have demonstrated outstanding skill and
dedication, and they are a source of great pride to their families
and school; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the Wiley College debate team on
winning the 2014 Pi Kappa Delta Comprehensive National Tournament
and extend to the members and Coach Medina sincere best wishes for
the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the team as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.