KU First
Debate donation
In 1976, when KU junior Robert “Robin” Rowland
and his debate partner, Frank Cross, snared the national debate championship,
they added to the KU debate team’s enviable legacy, which now includes
four national championships, 13 appearances in the final four and 36
consecutive shows in the National Debate Tournament. Today, as chair
of KU’s Department of Communication Studies, Rowland is still helping
the debate team achieve excellence. Two years ago, Rowland and Cross,
now a professor at the University of Texas, teamed up to create the Cross-Rowland
Debate Research Fund at KU Endowment Association. The fund helps students
cover the cost of debate research. “When we were at KU, we thought
we had better research than they did at Harvard,” Rowland said. “We
want KU’s current teams to have the same opportunity.” Rowland’s
gift counts toward KU First: Invest in Excellence. Earl Richardson/KU Endowment
Association