LibGuides: ACRL/EBSS Library Resources for Communication Studies (LRCS): Public Speaking

About

This guide will help students to learn about formal spoken communication through speech reading and rhetorical analysis.
These pages are produced by the Electronic Resources in Communication Studies Committee of EBSS. Please contact the committee chair if you are interested in contributing or editing.

Current Page Editor: Molly Strothmann

Suggested Subject Keywords

Please consult the Library of Congress subject headings for more ideas.

Encyclopedias and Handbooks

American Voices : An Encyclopedia of Contemporary American Orators By Bernard K. Duffy (Editor); Richard W. Leeman (Editor). 2005. 50 essays cover a substantial and interesting group of major American social, political, economic, and cultural figures from the 1960s to 2005. Each entry explains the biographical forces that shaped a speaker and his or her rhetorical approach, focusing mainly on a discussion of the orator's major speeches within the context of historical events, and concludes with an appraisal of the speaker and his or her contribution to American political and social life
Encyclopedia of rhetoric Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2010
Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition : Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age First published in 1996.
The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great African American Speeches By Richard W. Leeman (Editor); Bernard K. Duffy (Editor). 2012. Drawing upon nearly two hundred years of recorded African American oratory, The Will of a People: A Critical Anthology of Great African American Speeches, edited by Richard W. Leeman and Bernard K. Duffy, brings together in one unique volume some of this tradition's most noteworthy speeches, each paired with an astute introduction designed to highlight its most significant elements. Arranged chronologically, from Maria Miller Stewart's 1832 speech "Why Sit Ye Here and Die?" to President Barack Obama's 2009 inaugural address, these orations are tied to many of the key themes and events of American history, as well as the many issues and developments in American race relations. These themes, events, and issues include the changing roles of women, Native American relations, American "manifest destiny," abolitionism, the industrial revolution, Jim Crow, lynching, World War I and American self-determination, the rise of the New Deal and government social programs, the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation, the Vietnam War, Nixon and Watergate, gay and lesbian rights, immigration, and the rise of a mediated culture. Leeman and Duffy have carefully selected the most eloquent and relevant speeches by African Americans, including those by Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Booker T. Washington, Mary Church Terrell, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael, Barbara Jordan, Jesse Jackson, and Marian Wright Edelman, many of which have never received significant scholarly attention. The Will of a People is the first book to pair the full texts of the most important African American orations with substantial introductory essays intended to guide the reader's understanding of the speaker, the speech, its rhetorical interpretation, and the historical context in which it occurred. Broadly representative of the African American experience, as well as what it means to be American, this valuable collection will serve as an essential guide to the African American oratory tradition.

Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Exploring Public Speaking
By Tucker, B., & Barton, K., Dalton State College, Dalton, GA, 2016. Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike License.
Principles of Public Speaking
A free course developed by Christie Fierro and Brent Adrian. Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial NoDerivs License.
Stand up, Speak out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking
University of Minnesota Publishing, 2016. Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike license.
Using Your Speech Power
By Steven Ginley, Morton College, Cicero, IL. 2018. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

For other OERs on public speaking, search Merlot.

Speech Archives

General

American Rhetoric Audio files for over 5000 speeches, sermons, legal proceedings and other media events. Rhetorical Figures in Sound, an online dictionary, has audio files to illustrate definitions.
The Best Commencement Speeches, Ever Database of commencement speeches from NPR. Includes transcripts and some video and audio.
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World An online archive of speeches by influential contemporary women from around the world.
Greatest Speeches of the 20th Century Internet Archive collection of audio files of well-known speeches from the 20th century. Speeches include Edward VIII's abdication address, Lou Gehrig's farewell to baseball, and Nikita Khrushchev's kitchen debate.
The Guardian Great Speeches of the 20th Century Collection of well-known 20th century speeches curated by the Guardian. Coverage is heavily British with some American, European, Indian, and South African speakers. All have full text many include audio.
History Channel Speech Archives Broadcasts and recordings (RealAudio required) of historic speeches. Each speech has a separate webpage, on which appear a text excerpt and the speech's historic context. Site visitors can view speeches by category (Politics & Government; Science & Technology; Arts, Entertainment & Culture; War & Diplomacy) or browse a complete alphabetical list. A History Channel website search returns speeches among results.
Say it Plain, Say it Loud: A Century of Great African American Speeches Collection of African American speeches created buy American Radio Works, largely from the 20th century. Includes audio files and transcripts of speeches ranging from Booker T. Washington, to Fannie Lou Hamer, to Barack Obama.
Vital Speeches of the Day (fee-based) Long-running periodical publishing a monthly collection of international speech transcripts. Subscription now includes a searchable database of speeches 1934- present.

Political

American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I From the Library of Congress: "The Nation's Forum recordings were made between 1918 and 1920 in an effort to preserve the voices of prominent Americans; in most cases, they are the only surviving recordings of a speaker. "
American Presidency Project: State of the Union Addresses and Messages Complete list, George Washington to present day.
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States- George Washington to Donald J. Trump Transcripts of inaugural addresses.
Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952-2020 Video collection from the Museum of the Moving Image. Commercials are indexed by year, candidate, type of commercial, and issue. Works only with Flash.

Journals and Trade Publications

Associations and Organizations

American Forensic Association Founded in 1949, the AFA is an umbrella organization which runs the National Debate and National Individual Events Tournaments for high school and college students. The website houses tables of contents for the Association's journal, Argumentation & Advocacy, and contents of conference proceedings.
National Communication Association - Argumentation and Forensics Division Promotes communication scholarship and education, represents educators, practitioners and students in all areas of communication studies. Founded in 1914 as the National Association of Academic Teachers of Public Speaking, the society incorporated in 1950 as the Speech Association of America. In 1970 the organization changed its name to Speech Communication Association and adopted its present name in 1997.
National Forensic Association Affiliated with the American Forensics Association, the NFA is concerned with intercollegiate speech and debate competition.
National Speakers Association "The National Speakers Association (NSA) is the leading organization for professional speakers. Since 1973, NSA has provided resources and education designed to advance the skills, integrity and value of its members and speaking profession." Use the Knowledge Bank and Resource Center link to find articles on a wide range of public-speaking topics.