An Era of Oration: The Early History of Fulton Debating Society

From the inception of Boston College, elocution and oratory skill were among the most important assets that the school actively cultivated in its students. The Prefect of Studies–or Dean–Robert Fulton, S.J., profoundly fostered the student interest in oratorical aptitude. Under his tutelage, the “Senior Debating Society” was officially founded in 1868, just four years after Fulton admitted the first students. By 1890, students renamed the organization in his honor as the Fulton Debating Society or, as more fondly known by the students, “the Fulton.”  Topics of political, philosophical, and social intrigue were common to the debates of the club.

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