Daniel Webster
Debate Society

Our Legacy

Two centuries of rhetorical excellence, forged in the Harkness tradition.

Founded in 1818, the Daniel Webster Debate Society is the oldest secondary school debate society in the United States. Named for the great orator himself, the Society has cultivated generations of thinkers, advocates, and leaders — carrying forward a tradition of reasoned discourse that remains as vital today as it was over two centuries ago. Today it is the Phillips Exeter debate team, competing on the national circuit and training the next generation of speakers.