The study of rhetoric has long been a part of the Davidson College curriculum, although specific classes in speech and debate were not offered until the 1912. Professor Archibald Currie taught the first cours in Public Speaking. This course was offered through the 1920s and discontinued. Speech classes were offered again starting in 1950s. A Communication Studies program was established at Davidson College in 2004. The program focuses on three areas: 1) interpersonal communication, including communication in relationships, in small groups, and in organizations, as well as intercultural communication; 2) public communication, including rhetorical analysis and such intentional efforts to influence audiences as persuasion, social movements, and political communication; and 3) mass communication, including the history of mass media, the critical analysis of media, and how media shape the communication process. In addition to offering classes in communication, this program oversees the Speaking Center.Similar to the Writing Center, the Speaking Center has trained student tutors available to assist students with presentations