Ruggles Essay Competition
The Ruggles Essay Competition is held each year in the spring. Students complete free topic essays and read them in front of classmates to select several finalists. Those finalists read their essays in front of the high school student body in April. Prizes are awarded to the top two contestants.
Every junior writes a 600 to 800 word essay. Each written work is judged in two parts. Part I of the judging covers the originality of the content, written work, grammar, and vivid and musical choice of language. Part II of the judging covers the oral interpretation of each student’s work.
The first recorded Ruggles contest was found in the Freeman’s Journal dating back to July 3, 1879, which identifies The Ruggles Memorial Rhetorical Prize being established in 1877 with the winners receiving $7 each. This contest was established in honor of William H. Ruggles.