author
Victor Alvin Ketcham
1883–1947
A longtime teacher of public speaking and debate, this early 20th-century American writer focused on helping students build clear arguments and speak with confidence. His best-known work turns rhetoric into something practical, direct, and usable.
1 Audiobook
The theory and practice of argumentation and debate
by Victor Alvin Ketcham
About the author
Victor Alvin Ketcham (1883–1947) was an American author and teacher best known for The Theory and Practice of Argumentation and Debate, first published in 1914. The book was written as a practical guide for preparing and presenting oral and written arguments, with an emphasis on classroom use rather than abstract theory.
Evidence from the book itself places him in Columbus, Ohio in early 1914, and library records also list him as the author of Make a Good Speech, published in 1946. Together, those works suggest a career centered on debate, speech, and persuasive communication.
Ketcham’s writing remains of interest because it treats argument as a skill that can be learned through practice. Even now, his work reflects an older but still recognizable approach to teaching students how to organize ideas, weigh evidence, and speak effectively in public.