World Champions of Public Speaking
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The best speakers in the world!
Caption: Jock Elliott, right, is the 2011 World
Champion of Public Speaking.
It's the World Series of public speaking, the Olympics of oratory, the final bout for the heavyweight title of "World Champion of Public Speaking." It's the Toastmasters International Speech Contest!
Each year, this speech contest culminates at Toastmasters International's four-day International Convention, held in August. A panel of experienced Toastmasters judges evaluate nine contestants from different parts of the world, all of whom had advanced to the finals following a year-long process of elimination, using club, area, district and semifinal competitions. Criteria used in judging included speech content, organization, voice quality and gestures.
Watch Jock Elliott's 2011 winning speech, "Just So Lucky."
Watch highlights of the winning speeches from 2007 to 2010.
Previous World Champions include:
|
2011
|
Jock Elliott
|
Bongaree, QLD, Australia
|
|
2010
|
David Henderson
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
2009
|
Mark Hunter
|
Albany Creek, QLD, Australia
|
|
2008
|
Lashunda Rundles
|
Dallas, Texas
|
|
2007
|
Vikas Jhingran
|
Cambridge, Massachusetts
|
|
2006
|
Edward Hearn
|
Chicago, Illinois
|
|
2005
|
Lance Miller
|
Glendale, California
|
|
2004
|
Randy Harvey
|
Sherwood, Oregon
|
|
2003
|
Jim Key
|
Rowlett, Texas
|
|
2002
|
Dwayne Smith
|
Decatur, Georgia
|
|
2001
|
Darren LaCroix
|
Auburn, Massachusetts
|
|
2000
|
Ed Tate
|
Aurora, Colorado
|
|
1999
|
Craig Valentine
|
Ellicott City, Maryland
|
|
1998
|
Brett Rutledge
|
Auckland, New Zealand
|
|
1997
|
Willie Jones
|
Honolulu, Hawaii
|
|
1996
|
David Nottage
|
Auckland, New Zealand
|
|
1995
|
Mark Brown
|
Mount Vernon, New York
|
|
1994
|
Morgan McArthur
|
Idaho Falls, Idaho
|
|
1993
|
Otis Williams Jr.
|
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
|
1992
|
Dana LaMon
|
Lancaster, California
|
|
1991
|
David Ross
|
Norman, Oklahoma
|
|
1990
|
David Brooks
|
Austin, Texas
|
|
1989
|
Don Johnson
|
Torrance, California
|
|
1988
|
Jerry Starke
|
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
|
|
1987
|
Harold Patterson
|
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
|
|
1986
|
M. Arabella Bengson
|
Islington, Ontario, Canada
|
|
1985
|
Marie C. Pyne
|
Ireland
|
|
1984
|
Joe Boyd
|
Bellingham, Washington
|
|
1983
|
Roy Fenstermaker
|
Downey, California
|
|
1982
|
Kenneth Bernard
|
Australia
|
|
1981
|
Jim Joelson
|
Reno, Nevada
|
|
1980
|
Jeff Young
|
Los Angeles, California
|
|
1979
|
Dick Caldwell
|
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
|
|
1978
|
Michael Aun II
|
Lexington, South Carolina
|
|
1977
|
Evelyn Jane Burgay
|
Springfield, Virginia
|
|
1976
|
William Johnson
|
Aberdeen, Maryland
|
|
1975
|
Andy McKay
|
Rochester, New York
|
|
1974
|
Bennie Powell
|
Los Angeles, California
|
|
1973
|
Charles W. "Doc" Stewart
|
San Antonio, Texas
|
|
1972
|
Rudy Valle
|
Canoga Park, California
|
|
1971
|
Bert Angus
|
Transcona, Manitoba, Canada
|
|
1970
|
Stephen D. Boyd
|
|
|
1969
|
Dennis Nangers
|
Delano, California
|
|
1968
|
Grant R. Sheehan
|
Washington, D.C.
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|
1967
|
Dale Smith
|
Goshen, Indiana
|
|
1966
|
Michael Yaconelli
|
San Diego, California
|
|
1965
|
John L. Nydegger
|
Lewiston, Idaho
|
|
1964
|
Anthony C.L. Bishop
|
Northridge, California
|
|
1963
|
Larry D. Beitel
|
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
|
|
1962
|
Robert Garton
|
Columbus, Indiana
|
|
1961
|
John J. Carver
|
Seattle, Washington
|
|
1960
|
Glenn E. Carroll
|
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
|
|
1959
|
Dean F. Berkeley
|
Bloomington, Indiana
|
|
1958
|
Edmund Shire
|
|
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1957
|
Charles Jones
|
Fort Smith, Arkansas
|
|
1956
|
David Holmes Jr.
|
Toledo, Ohio
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|
1955
|
Charles W. Bryant
|
Tacoma, Washington
|
|
1954
|
Herbert Thompson
|
Wood River, Illinois
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|
1953
|
Theodore B. Furlow
|
Long Beach, California
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|
1952
|
George W. Armstrong
|
Omaha, Nebraska
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|
1951
|
Albert Green Jr
|
Seattle, Washington
|
|
1950
|
Charles Hilton
|
Mason City, Iowa
|
|
1949
|
Dalton McAllister
|
Fort Wayne, Indiana
|
|
1948
|
Robert Dellwo
|
Spokane, Washington
|
|
1947
|
Douglas Sherwin
|
Clearlake, Iowa
|
|
1946
|
Thor Myhre
|
Spokane, Washington
|
|
1945
|
NO CONVENTION
|
|
|
1944
|
NO CONVENTION
|
|
|
1943
|
Llyod Prante
|
|
|
1942
|
Cavett Robert
|
Phoenix, Arizona
|
|
1941
|
John McInnis
|
|
|
1940
|
David MacFarlane
|
Santa Monica, California
|
|
1939
|
William Roberts
|
Huntington Park, California
|
|
1938
|
Henry Wiens
|
Reedley, California
|