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History of Debates at Washington University

Ross Perot, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and President George Bush square off in the first presidential debate, which was held at the Washington University Field House. More than 100 million people around the world watched the event, which spotlighted the University.

Washington University hosted the first nationally televised three-person presidential debate on Sunday, Oct. 11, 1992. The venue was the university's Athletic Complex, the site of the 1904 World Olympics. The 90 minute debate featured President George Bush, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and independent candidate Ross Perot. Questions were posed by moderator Jim Lehrer of the "MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour" and a panel of three journalists.

Approximately 100 million Americans and millions of others worldwide watched the debate that was telecast live from Washington University. Some 600 people viewed the debate inside the debate hall, 250 of whom were Washington University students.

More than 550 journalists watched the debate from a media center in the Athletic Complex. ABC-TV provided pooled audio and video for CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox, C-SPAN and PBS and offered 48 audio and 48 video feeds to affiliate stations worldwide.

Most of the costs of the debate at Washington University were underwritten by a $500,000 gift made by Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. to the university to support its debate through the auspices of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). Local St. Louis corporations and Washington University students, faculty and staff made substantial in-kind contributions of their time and energy to help with many of the operational requirements. Any costs not covered by the CPD or in-kind contributions were covered by an anonymous donation to Washington University restricted for use in the debate.

In 1996, Washington University again was selected as a presidential debate site, but that event was later cancelled when the candidates negotiated a reduction in the number of presidential debates from three to just two.

In 2000, the university had nine months to prepare for the last presidential debate between Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore, which was moderated by Jim Lehrer, executive editor and anchor of PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

The format of the Oct. 17, 2000, debate was a "town-hall meeting" in the university's Field House, where the candidates sat on stools facing an audience of about 140 St. Louis-area voters. These town hall participants — undecided voters selected by the Gallup organization — asked the candidates questions.

Some 900 persons — media, dignitaries, invited guests and more than 150 Washington University students — viewed the debate from the Field House's upper bleacher seats. Millions more worldwide watched the televised 2000 debate, in which Bush and Gore discussed for 90 minutes foreign and domestic policy issues.

The Record - 1992 Debate Issue

1996 Debate cancelled

Debate 2000 Web site