Literary and debate societies were often found flourishing in American colleges in the early twentieth century. Students flocked to these groups, engaging with fellow students in ways previously unseen. However, this quickly started to decline by the year 1931. Institutions that thrived on these interactions either deleted their societies all together, or the teams had faded into obscurity with minimal work and effort poured into them (Emerson, James G. 3). The teams that survived often further hampered themselves by rejecting the women who aspired to impact these societies for the better with their contributions. This decreased the scope and roster of these argumentative entities. Fortunately, this was not always the case, but it would have allowed Wiley College to stand out even more in their prime (Mastrangelo, Lisa S. 2).
Emerson, James Gordon. "The Old Debating Society". Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 17, no. 3, June 1931, p. 362-375, DOI: 10.1080/00335633109379820 .
This journal article reflects on literary and debate societies in the early 1900s and compares them to the outlook of the same societies in 1931. The author states that many universities kept these programs running, while others did not. This connects to the Great Debaters as it shows the competition that the Wiley College debate team may have faced at around the same time period.
Mastrangelo, Lisa S. "Learning from the Past: Rhetoric, Composition, and Debate at Mount Holyoke College". Rhetoric Review, vol. 18, no. 1, 1999, p. 46-64, DOI: 10.1080/07350199909359255 .
This journal article discusses the environment of aspiring college women in the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, specifically as it relates to rhetoric and composition. The author brings to light some remarks made about women who attempted to break into higher education. This article addresses the difficulties a woman such as Samantha Booke, the only woman on the Wiley College debate team, would have to overcome.