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Debate coach Thomas Freeman nurtured generations of Texas Southern University students and some of America’s most notable leaders. Born in 1919, Freeman first tried public speaking in the church. He pursued studies in divinity, and while lecturing at Morehouse College in 1947, left a distinct impression on the then eighteen-year-old Martin Luther King Jr. After graduating from the University of Chicago, Freeman moved to Houston to teach at Texas Southern. He expected this to be a minor detour, but after the university asked him to coach the debate team, he would build a career there over six decades. In 1956, Freeman’s debate team defeated Harvard in competition, bringing Texas Southern national acclaim. Among his debaters was future congresswoman Barbara Jordan, whose measured, authoritative style owed much to Freeman. More»