FOURTH DYNASTY: Jeanine Congalton (1990-2003)

To right: Gass, Keele and Jeanine with the team of Greg West and Steve Crow 

Dr. Congalton co-Directed the program for six years with Dr. Gass until his retirement from debate in 1996.  In that year she co-founded the Daniel Webster Project, which would become the Southern California Urban Debate League, at Santa Ana High School.  The SCUDL would grow to two additional schools the following year, blossom to over 20 high schools during the life of an OSI grant, and finally evolve into the entity it is today.

Dr. Congalton continued to nurture both Individual Events and debate, and in 1999 Marcus Omari Bowman appeared in the final round of the AFA NIET, the only Fullerton student ever to do so.  During her time 21 different students qualified for the NDT, including Laura Heider and Demetrius Lambrinos, the only Fullerton team to both finish in the top 10 speakers at the NDT and the only first-round team since 1973.  In 2003 she received the Jack Howe award from the PSCFA for a lifetime of excellent work.

In 1997 the team of Laura Heider and Demetrius Lambrinos received a first-round bid to the NDT, advanced to the elimination rounds (where they lost an especially unjust 3-2 decision to Redlands), and finished as the 6th and 9th speaker, respectively.  They were the first team to get a first round, advance to elims, or win speaker awards since the early 1970s.

No faculty member has ever given more of her personal time, effort and money than Jeanine.  Her students ran the range from the talented but troubled to the good-hearted but average to the best in the nation; they all love and respect Jeanine for her never-ending support.  In January 2006 the winter collegiate tournament was named in her honor.

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