M.M. Neely Contest Winners Announced

Fairmont State University has announced the winners of the annual M.M. Neely Persuasive Speaking Contest.

The first-place winner was Romelia Hodges, a junior who is working on her R.B.A. in Communication. She is a graduate of Fairmont Senior High School. Her topic was "Save Dunbar School." The second-place winner was Stephanie Niksich, who is a senior Communication major and graduate of West Potomac High School, Alexandria, Va. Her topic was "Clean Water." The third-place winner was Janeann Bowers, a senior English major and graduate of Bridgeport South High School. Her topic was "Easing Restrictions on Foreign Physicians." The prizes awarded were $500 for first place; $300 for second; and $200 for third.
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The contest was begun in the 1930s at Fairmont State and Salem College by the former U.S. senator and governor of West Virginia, Mathew Mansfield Neely. As a politician, he fought for cancer research, child labor regulation and other, similar reforms. A most celebrated and controversial politician, Neely, who was also quite adept at public speaking, saw the contest as a way to encourage students to speak up for their beliefs as he had in support of his deeply-held convictions.

Now, almost 70 years later, Neely's heirs, specifically his daughter, Corrine Neely Pettit, have endowed the contest in perpetuity. In addition to this contest, the Neely family has shown its commitment to speech education at Fairmont State by providing funds for numerous scholarships to students who major or minor in Speech Communication.

The contest was open to all full-time Fairmont State students who meet the contest's requirements. Participants presented an 8-10 minute persuasive problem analysis based upon extensive research. The students were judged on composition (quality of script) and the delivery or effectiveness of the presentation.