Our Past

Competitive public speaking at Butler dates back nearly to the beginning of the University. In 1874, Butler was among six universities in the state (Asbury, Butler, Hanover, Indiana, Purdue, and Wabash) who began an annual oratory contest where the top speaker qualified to attend the annual Interstate Oratory Association competition, which began the same year. Butler’s first national championship was not in basketball but was in public speaking when the Interstate Oratory Association awarded the national championship to Butler student Lawrence W. Bridge in 1914. ​

Our Present

Butler currently sponsors competition in Individual Events and IPDA Debate. We compete annually at regional and national tournaments and have finished among the top ten forensics programs in the nation at the Pi Kappa Delta National Comprehensive Tournament. Our students have earned many national championships and regularly compete in national elimination rounds. Membership is open to any student at Butler regardless of college or major.

Our Leadership

Prof. Janis Crawford has served as the Director of Forensics at Butler since 1998. Her forensics research has been published and presented at national and regional conferences, and she has served on several boards and committees for various national organizations, and hosted several national tournaments. She currently serves as the president of the Indiana Forensic Association and is a full-time member of the Butler faculty, teaching courses in Organizational Communication and Leadership.

Prof. Gregory Moser, Esq. ’07 joined Butler as the volunteer Assistant Director of Forensics in 2019. His research on forensics, communication centers, and presentational technology has been published and presented at national and regional conferences. Prof. Moser currently serves as the Tournament Director for the Indiana Forensic Association. In addition to being an adjunct professor in the College of Communication, he is a full-time attorney specializing in major felony criminal defense.