The story
20th century
As a Ripon College student, Jacob created a pocket handbook, Suggestions for the Debater. After becoming a professor at Ripon College, Jacob received a letter inquiring about the existence of a debate honor society. This led to the founding of the National Forensic League, with the earliest members joining on March 28, 1925.
The National Forensic League was an honor society that recognized middle and high school students and coaches for participation in speech and debate activities. Students earned merit points for participation and were held to a Code of Honor.
Karl Mundt served as the organization's national president from 1932 until 1971.
21st century
The League's name was changed on May 17, 2013, to the National Speech & Debate Association and the National Speech & Debate Association's Honor Society. A press release explained "As a communication organization, we need to effectively communicate who we are and what we do. There is a common misunderstanding of 'NFL' or 'forensics,' including confusion with the National Football League or crime scene investigation; changing our name to focus on the activity of speech and debate will appeal to more students, coaches, alumni, sponsors, and the general public."
As of 2024, the league has 141,132 student members and 2,000,000 alumni. It has chapters at 3,152 high schools and 578 middle school chapters. Its headquarters are located in West Des Moines, Iowa.
From Wikipedia’s article on National Speech and Debate Association, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4