The 2026 Coolidge Cup broke records, with 92 debaters and 11 declaimers traveling to Plymouth Notch from 28 states and Singapore.
Amid the semiquicentennial celebrations, Alithiea West, a homeschooled student and 2025 Coolidge Senator from Chesapeake, Virginia, emerged victorious after 11 debates contesting whether to limit presidential power to initiate armed conflict.
In declamation, Deborah Nkurumeh from Oklahoma City skillfully delivered excerpts from six of President Coolidge’s speeches en route to top honors.
The Coolidge Foundation thanks the 72 community and parent volunteers who volunteered as citizen judges and made the tournament possible.