From Press Release: "Compiled by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas A&M University, the list reflects the opinions of 137 leading scholars of American public address. The experts were asked to recommend speeches on the basis of social and political impact, and rhetorical artistry.
Stephen Lucas, UW-Madison professor of communication arts, and Martin Medhurst, professor of speech communication at Texas A&M, say the new list confirms that excellence in American public oratory has thrived during the last 100 years."
Following "I Have a Dream" on the list are John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address, best known for the famous challenge, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Franklin D. Roosevelt's first inaugural address, March 4, 1933 and his declaration of war, Dec. 8, 1941, make FDR the only person with two speeches in the top five.
Barbara Jordon's keynote address to the Democratic National Convention, July 12, 1976, completes the top five. Surveyed scholars cited her eloquence, power and masterful delivery, as well as the historical importance of the first keynote by an African-American woman.
The rest of the top 10 are:
-- Richard Nixon's "Checkers" speech of 1952.
-- Malcom X's 1964 "The Ballot or the Bullet."
-- Ronald Reagan's 1986 eulogy of the Challenger astronauts.
-- JFK's address to the Houston Ministerial Association during the 1960 presidential campaign.
-- Lyndon Johnson's "We Shall Overcome" speech that helped secure passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Link to list (full text and some audio available)
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