Bishop Joseph Fenwick Debating Society

The Bishop Joseph Fenwick Debating Society was founded in 1846 with the purpose of "the diffusion of knowledge, the cultivation of eloquence and readiness in debate," as stated in its constitution. Famous early members included Bishop James A. Healy, as well as Edward D. Boone, the first alumnus President of College of the Holy Cross. In its early years, the Society also inducted Honorary Members, including John Quincy Adams, and it had weekly meetings in which members debated a historical or current event topic, such as "Has a state a right to secede from the Union?" The Society also had its own library, which contained important literature of the past and present, resources for preparing speeches and arguments for the weekly topic, and its use was exclusive to the members of the society.