About Debate at Johns Hopkins
The first debate society at The Johns Hopkins University, House of Commons, was founded in 1892. When Woodrow Wilson attended Johns Hopkins to pursue a doctorate in political science, he became a member of this organization. After graduating, Wilson entered politics and ultimately became the 28th President of the United States. The House of Commons was later renamed the Woodrow Wilson Debate Council in his honor.
The Debate Council has a long and storied history of success. Its recent accomplishments include a victory in the National Championship (Rebecca Justice and Dave Weiner, 1996-97) and a first place finish in the Team of the Year competition (Jon Bateman and Michael Mayernick, 2004-05). In the 2007-08 season, Johns Hopkins won more tournaments than any other school, and placed second in the newly inaugurated College of the Year competition.