Locating speeches can be challenging. Below is a list of key resources and strategies to begin your search.
If you are having difficulty locating a speech, Ask for HELP.
Collections of Speeches | Indexes to Speeches in Collections |
Diverse Speech -- Speeches by Minorities & Women | Presidential Speeches |
Speeches in Newspapers, Magazines and Journals | Recorded Speeches -- Audio and Video |
Speeches on the Internet | Need more? Ask for HELP!!
Page created by Ellysa Cahoy, Speech Communications Librarian. Revised by Eric Novotny, History Librarian.
SPEECH COLLECTIONS
To search for speeches at Penn State use The CAT (PSU library catalog) and the keywords "Speeches, addresses" You can also search by the name of the speaker, e.g. Martin Luther King, William Jennings Bryan, etc...
Vital speeches of the day.
Call #: PN6121 .V52
Pattee Stacks, 2A. v.1(1934)-v.71:no.17(2005), v.71:no.19(2005)-v.71:no.24(2005)
.
Vital speeches of the day is available full-text (June 1, 1995 - current) via ProQuest
American orators before 1900 : critical studies and sources
Call #: PN4055.U5A4 1987
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
American orators of the twentieth century : critical studies and sources
Call#:PN4193.P6A44 1987
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
Historical speeches through transcripts (CD-ROM set)
Social Sciences Library,
Paterno - 2nd Floor - Electronic Resources
. Ask at the Service Desk.
Representative American speeches 1937-present.
Call #: PS668 .B3,
Pattee Stacks 3
The world's great speeches
Call # PN6121.W66 1999. Pattee - Stacks 2A
. Earlier editions have slightly different call numbers.
SPEECHES BY MINORITIES AND WOMEN
Voices of Multicultural America : Notable Speeches Delivered by African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans, 1790-1995
Call#: PS663.M55V64 1996
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
I have spoken : American history through the voices of the Indians
Call # E98.O7A7, Pattee Stacks 1
Lift every voice : African American oratory, 1787-1900
Call # E185.18.L54 1998, Pattee Stacks Level 1
Outspoken women : speeches by American women reformers, 1635-1935
Call # HQ1423.O97 1984, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno
Ripples of hope : great American civil rights speeches
Call # E184.A1R53 2003, Pattee Stacks Level 1
INDEXES TO SPEECHES IN COLLECTIONS
Speech Index: An Index to Collections of World Famous Orations and Speeches for Various Occasions
Call # AI3.S85
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
Index to American women speakers, 1828-1978
Call#: Z1231.O7M36
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
We shall be heard : an index to speeches by American women, 1978 to 1985
Call#: Z1231.O7M37 1988
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
An inventory of the Library of Congress collection of texts of American speeches
Call#: AI3.A2
Arts & Humanities, Pattee, Stacks 2 - Reference Collection
PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States
Public papers of the Presidents of the United States, 1929-
Call #: J80.A283 Reference Collection, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor, Paterno Library
Speeches, press conferences, and public papers of each president. Issued annually.
Also available online via GPO Access (1992-Present).
Speeches of the American Presidents
Call #: J81.S64, Reference Collection, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor, Paterno Library
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
Call#: J80.A284 Reference Collection, Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor, Paterno Library
Updates the Public Papers of the President between issues. Also available online via GPO Access (1993-Present).
The White House--Presidential Speeches
NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, AND JOURNALS
Newspapers and magazines sometimes pick up key speeches--particularly from prominent political figures. The databases listed below are important sources for locating current speeches.
New York Times Historical provides the full-text of The New York Times (including many speech transcripts). The most recent years of the NY Times are in Proquest Direct.
Proquest Direct
Provides access to summaries of articles from over 5,000 publications, including a wide variety of periodicals, newspapers, and business sources. Many articles are available in full text. ProQuest also provides the full-text of Vital Speeches of the Day (1999-Present).
LexisNexis Academic
LexisNexis Academic is a full-text database containing newspapers, transcripts, magazines, and legal materials.
Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature. 1890-present
AI3.R4 Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Abstracts & Indexes
Poole's Index to Periodical Literature 1802-1906
AI3.P72 Arts & Humanities, Pattee, 2nd Floor - Abstracts & Indexes
RECORDED SPEECHES -- AUDIO & VIDEO
To locate recordings of speeches use the MATERIAL TYPE limiter in The CAT. Limit your search to either AUDIO MATERIAL or VIDEO MATERIAL. Use the keywords "Speeches, addresses" or search by the name of the speaker, e.g. Martin Luther King, William Jennings Bryan, etc... Many web sites provide audio and video clips from famous speeches. See the WEB RESOURCES section of this guide for places to start.
A Few General Collections to Try:Great American speeches : 80 years of political oratory [video]
Call # 40791, Media & Technology Support Services, To Schedule: 814-863-3202
Great speeches. [video] Multi-volume collection of significant speeches
Call # 90344, Media & Technology Support Services, To Schedule: 814-863-3202
Every tone a testimony : an African American aural history [Audio]
Call # Disc CD02-2, Arts & Humanities, West Pattee 2nd Flr-Music & Media Center
Great speeches : today's women [Video]
Call # 92013, Media & Technology Support Services, To Schedule: 814-863-3202
Smithsonian Global Sound (PSU users only. A collection of online audio and music, including many spoken word recordings)
WEB RESOURCES ON PUBLIC SPEAKING
Collections of Speeches
Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
History and Politics Out Loud
History Channel.com-Historical Speeches
Landon Lecture Series Archive
Online Speech Bank (American Rhetoric.com)
Smithsonian Global Sound (PSU users only. A collection of online audio and music, including many spoken word recordings)
Speech and Transcript Center
Speeches and Speechmakers--University of Iowa
Presidential / Political Speeches
American Leaders Speak: Recordings from World War I and the 1920 Election
Castro Speech Database
Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States
Presidential Rhetoric
Rhetoric of 9/11
Selected Speeches of Winston Churchill
The White House--Presidential Speeches
Can't find what you are looking for?
Send an e-mail or Chat question via our ASK! Service .
OR contact a subject specialist:
Ellysa Cahoy, Speech Communications
Social Sciences Library, 2nd Floor Paterno
814-865-9696
ecs10@psulias.psu.eduEric Novotny, History
Arts & Humanities Library, 2nd Floor Pattee
814-865-1014
ecn1@psu.edu
IM: HistoryLibrarian