Former Fargo Shanley debate coach Robert Littlefield to be inducted into National High School Hall of Fame

NDHSAA News Release

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The North Dakota High School Activities Association is honored to announce that former Fargo Shanley debate coach Robert Littlefield will be inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame during the 102nd National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Summer Meeting being held June 28-July 2 in Orlando, Florida.

Littlefield is one of 12 inductees scheduled to be honored and will be inducted into the Performing Arts Category of the Hall of Fame. The NFHS High School Hall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for Thursday, July 1 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

Littlefield has been one of the top speech and debate educators in North Dakota and nationally for over 45 years. After beginning his career as director of forensics and fine arts in the Barnesville (Minnesota) Public Schools in 1974, Littlefield worked at the high school and college levels in North Dakota until 2016, when he moved to the University of Central Florida. In addition to serving as debate coach at Shanley High School in Fargo for eight years, Littlefield was the state planner and coordinator for speech clinics for high school teachers and students for more than 20 years. He also coordinated summer speech and debate camps for high school students and was founder and executive director of the Valley Forensic League.

During his time at Shanley, Littlefield revitalized the program and had teams regularly place at regional, state and national competition. He has been involved in national leadership positions with both Pi Kappa Delta National Forensic Honorary and the National Speech and Debate Association. In addition to service on boards and committees with these organizations, Littlefield's research, development and publication in scholastic journals and instructional workbooks has been extensive. During most of his time in North Dakota, Littlefield was a professor at North Dakota State University and directed the NDSU Speech and Debate Invitational for 25 years.

The National High School Hall of Fame was founded in 1982 by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to honor high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and others.

Littlefield is the eighth National High School Hall of Fame inductee from North Dakota joining Sid Cichy (1984), Jack Brown (1993), Phil Jackson (1994), Dick Schindler (1999), Del Gab (2003), Jerry Popp (2005), Sheryl Solberg (2014).

NFHS HALL OF FAME NEWS RELEASE

For more information on the National High School Hall of Fame visit:

http://www.nfhs.org/resources/hall-of-fame/

National Federation of State High School Associations website:

http://www.nfhs.org/