LBJ Debate Society debates UNT on abolition of Electoral College

Student Achievements

Staff Contributor | October 30, 2020

The LBJ Debate Society of Texas State University and the University of North Texas (UNT) Debate Team squared off Monday night in a public debate sponsored by the LBJ Museum of San Marcos and Texas State on the topic of abolishing the Electoral College. Jacob Everett, a freshman political science major from Waco, and Hannah Nunley, a senior political science major from El Campo, composed the Texas State team that proposed the motion to abolish the Electoral College. The University of North Texas team that opposed the motion consisted of Alex Delarosa, a senior political science major from Waxahachie, and Jose Sanchez, junior English major from Athens.

After a spirited, but civil, debate the audience voted 23-5 in favor of the Bobcats and to abolish the Electoral College.

This is the second time that the LBJ Debate Society has been invited to be part of the LBJ Museum of San Marcos’ Fall Lecture Series. In 2018, the Bobcats presented a debate on voting rights.  

Before the debate, Dr. Brian Lain, the director of debate at UNT, gave a short presentation on the Normal School Debates that occurred in the early part of the 20th century. In fact,  Lain mentioned a debate in 1928 between Texas State and Sam Houston. In that debate, Texas State students Lyndon Johnson and Elmer Graham defeated Sam Houston on a 2-1 decision. The topic was that “the U.S. should cease to protect capital investments in foreign countries after declarations of war.”

Lain said that Johnson noted that the debate itself was a “glorious occasion” and the news reports indicated that “every courtesy was extended by the debaters and the coach, and each person only had feelings of gratitude and appreciation.”

Lain and Wayne Kraemer, director of the LBJ Debate Society, hope to revive the Normal School Debates between the five Normals [teacher colleges]: Texas State (Southwest Normal); Sam Houston; Texas A&M-Commerce (East Texas Normal); UNT (Texas Normal); and West Texas A&M (West Texas Normal).