The Barkley Forum is the intercollegiate debate and forensics organization at Emory University. It is named after Emory alumnus and former United States Vice-President Alben W. Barkley. Debate at Emory began in the 1830s. The literary societies that practiced literary and forensic arts gave way to an intercollegiate debating society in the 1920s. Melissa Wade is the Executive Director of the Barkley Forum; William Newnam is the Associate Director. Edward Lee is the Director of Debate for the Barkley Forum.