The “I Speak for Democracy” contest was open to high school students. A student would write and read an essay on democracy which would be judged on the local, state and national level. A special 16-inch transcription disc was prepared to both inform students of the contest and encourage them to participate. The disc featured five short (4-5 minutes) speeches by Jimmy Stewart, Major General Luther Miller, Dr. John W. Studebaker, Judge Justin Miller and Paul Bagwell. These recordings could be played by classroom teachers for their students and they were also sometimes broadcast over local radio stations. This small item below from the October 29, 1947 edition of the Mason City Globe-Gazette, Mason City, IA, shows one such broadcast:
Here is a label scan of the Stewart side of the disc:
Finally, listen to what Mr. Stewart had to say:
