About The Contest
Held annually since 1926, the Battle of Flowers® Oratorical Contest is the oldest university and college-level competition in the state of Texas. Every year, the event awards generous monetary prizes to its five (5) top finalists and to the top three (3) university advisor’s departments.
2021 Location
Witte Museum – Due to COVID-19 the 2021 Oratorical Contest contestants will give their speeches via ZOOM to the audience and judges convened at the Witte (masks and social distancing will be required as dictated by the governmental rules in place at the time of the contest).
To participate in the Oratorical Contest is a prestigious honor for students, and offers a great opportunity to support our unique Texan history and culture. Our top five (5) student finalists receive the following monetary awards:
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First Place: $5,000
- Second Place: $2,500
- Third Place: $1,500
- Fourth Place: $1,000
- Fifth Place: $750
The university department’s Faculty Advisor of the top three (3) winning student contests will receive the following monetary awards:
- First Place: $2,500
- Second Place: $1,500
- Third Place: $1,000
Click here to view the full list of benefits for student contestants and finalists, in addition to the monetary awards above. We hope you’ll consider joining us for next year’s contest!
2021 Documents
- 2021 Oratorical Contest Rules
- 2021 Topic Description
- 2021 Contest Rules for Applicants Selected to be Contestants Letter from Oratorical Chairman
- 2021 Guidelines for a Successful Speech
- 2021 Letter to Advisor
- 2021 Entry Form Information
- 2021 Entry Form
Donate
Your support of our contest enables the significant prize money made available to winning students. Please email here to get information on how to donate.
Past Contests
Click here to view our 2020 winners.
Watch the first-place speech from our 2019 Oratorical Contest: