In the early years of the Fulton Debating Society, before the College moved to Chestnut Hill, one of the highlights of the academic year was the annual prize debate. The first of these debates was held in 1890, and the debate has remained an annual event on campus for more than 100 years.
When University Hall (now Gasson Hall) was dedicated in 1913, a special room was dedicated to the Society. The ceiling of the room forms a Gothic arch, reflecting the building's architecture. The sloping ceilings on either side were, fittingly, adorned with six examples of or tributes to oratory: in Greek by Demosthenes, in Latin by Cicero, in Jerome's Latin rendition of St. Paul, in Italian by Paolo Segneri, S.J., in French by Louis Bourdaloue, S.J., and by Daniel Webster. Three of the quotations are from secular and three from sacred eloquence. From the vantage of the platform in the Fulton room the quotations from Cicero, Webster, and Demosthenes are on the left wall and those from Segneri, St. Paul, and Bourdaloue on the right.
The list of Fulton Medal Winners on the wall of the Fulton room contains the names of many great and some legendary Boston College graduates. Some standouts are Monsignor Michael J. Splaine, 1896, a revered churchman; Henry Foley, 1921, founder of a distinguished Boston law firm; James M. Curley, Jr., 1928, son of Boston's mayor, whose prospects were cut short by an early death; John J. Wright, 1931, later bishop and cardinal; Lawrence J. Riley, 1936, a beloved auxiliary bishop of Boston; John J. Curtin, Jr., 1954, first Boston College alumnus and Law School Alumnus to be president of the American Bar Association; and Joseph M. McLaughlin, 1964 and 1965, a champion debater and master litigator.
The second best speaker in the Fulton Prize Debate receives the Gargan Medal, historically awarded to the winner of the Marquette Debate. In continuing these traditions the Fulton honors the past, while simultaneously looking forward with anticipation to the years ahead.
Past winners of the Fulton Prize Medal include:
2008 Matthew Maerowitz 2007 Allen Best 2006 Allen Best 2005 Kevin Shatzkin 2004 Jeffrey Sullivan 2003 J. Ben Bireley 2002 Kevin Hartzell 2001 Kevin Hartzell 2000 Mario Powell 1999 Jared Fields 1998 Joshua Marmol 1997 Jennifer Kennedy 1996 Steve Bazyl 1995 Rebecca Kamp 1994 Wenyu Ho 1993 Dilip B. Paliath 1992 Robert P. Berry 1991 Darren Schwiebert 1990 Darren Schwiebert 1989 Christopher T. Gassett 1988 John I. Goodwin 1987 Michael Janas 1986 Michael Janas 1985 Susan M. Tardanico 1984 Richard Beck 1983 Thomas Grace 1982 Mark Milano 1981 Larry Supple 1980 Larry Supple 1979 Eric Woodbury 1978 John J. McGivney 1977 John J. McGivney 1976 Francis M. Lynch 1975 Michael Reilly 1974 H. Michael Cannert 1973 Jane Osborne McKnight 1972 Robert D. Baker 1971 Robert D. Baker 1970 Ronald Hoenig 1969 Mark Killenbeck 1968 David M. White 1967 David M. White 1966 Ronald K. Jerutis 1965 Joseph T. McLaughlin 1964 Joseph T. McLaughlin 1963 James J. Unger, Jr. 1962 William S. Abell, Jr. 1961 Kevin Byrne 1960 John H. McNealy 1959 Donald R. McKeon 1958 Francis E. Collins, Jr. 1957 Edward J. F. Thomas 1956 Edward J. F. Thomas 1955 Brian E. Concannon 1954 John J. Curtin, Jr. 1953 Roderick J. O'Neil 1952 Francis E. Dooley 1951 Donald W. White 1950 Lawrence E. Spellman 1949 E. Paul Kelly 1948 John T. Moore 1947 Maurice L. Paradis 1943 Joseph F. MacSweeney 1942 Joseph T. Nolan 1941 Thomas J. Finnegan 1940 Paul J. Greeley 1939 John F. X. Gaquin 1938 Francis E. Sullivan 1937 John F. Donelan 1936 Lawrence J. Riley 1935 Henry G. Beauregard 1934 John L. Roach 1933 Charles M. O’Brien 1932 Peter C. Quinn 1931 John J. Wright 1930 Edward A. Hogan, Jr. 1929 Leo P. O'Keefe 1928 James M. Curley, Jr. 1927 Thomas A. O'Keefe 1926 Walter R. Morris 1925 Joseph M. Gavan 1924 Joseph A. Turnbull 1923 Owen A. Gallagher 1922 Francis E. Magennis 1921 Henry G. Foley 1920 Thomas E. J. McNamara 1919 Richard S. McShane 1918 Daniel J. Gillen 1917 John J. Connolly 1916 Francis X. Quinn 1915 Edward J. McLaughlin 1914 Edward A. Sullivan 1913 Leo M. Murray 1912 Francis A. Harrington 1911 Cornelius A. Guiney 1910 David B. Waters 1909 John P. Manning, Jr. 1908 James A. Coveney 1907 John T. O'Hare 1906 Andrew J. O'Brien 1905 Edward J. Campbell 1904 William T. Miller 1903 Philip F. Kennedy 1902 Joseph A. Lennon 1901 Daniel A. B. Foley 1900 Joseph L. Early Jr. 1899 John B. Doyle 1898 Thomas B. Jameson 1897 Francis J. Carney 1896 M. John Splaine 1895 John J. Kirby 1894 William L. Sullivan 1893 John J. Douglass 1892 Daniel J. Gallagher 1891 Joseph C. Pelletier 1890 William A. Murphy
