Logan County High School graduate Rosemary Cundiff-Brown received her profession’s highest honor when she was inducted into the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) Hall of Fame during the state speech tournament at the University of Kentucky in early March.
The daughter of Paul (J.R.) and Zelma Whitson Cundiff of Russellville, she is a 1990 graduate of Russellville High School. She was a champion speaker at Western Kentucky University before switching to a theatre major.
She has coached forensics at both Bowling Green High and North Oldham High School. Her students have won state championships and have qualified for national tournaments conducted by the National Forensic League and the National Catholic Forensic League.
She is going to be co-chairman of the NCFL national tournament in Kentucky later this year.
Rosemary Cundiff-Brown is also an accomplished singer and actress. She has appeared on stage in both genres frequently. One year she traveled around the state portraying legendary Kentucky native Rosemary Clooney as a representative of the Kentucky Humanities Council. She usually appears in Logan County at least once a year.
She and her husband, Jonathan Brown, are also professional photographers and own their own highly successful photography business in Louisville.
Rosemary Cundiff-Brown was introduced at her Hall of Fame induction ceremony by Katie Blair Cecil, the highly successful coach at LaRue County High School who is the daughter of the late Hall of Fame coaches Garland and Ruth Blair.
Katy Blair Cecil on Rosemary: "The really sentimental thing I want to share with you all, though, is this. Speech changes lives, and that is something Rosemary knows because it changed hers and now she sees the effects this activity has on her own students each year. When I look around at this whole room full of people who love this activity as much as I know Rosemary and I do, I see so many coaches who have worked tirelessly to build something special here in Kentucky – something we can be very, very proud of – a community of positive competition and friendly rivalry.
“Guys – the friends you make through this activity will be lifelong. You will never forget the memories you are making right now. Most of you will move on from high school and rarely see the kids who sit in class with you every day, but I can almost guarantee you will maintain at least one of the friendships you have forged through this activity for your entire life. Speech gave me Rosemary and every other wonderful friend I have in this room. I know I speak for Rosemary when I say I count these people among my best friends in the world. In fact all of my very best friends are people who are in my life through speech. And Rosemary is for sure the best of them. She is one of the most ethical, classy, generous, professional, and talented people to ever do this job. She is a gift in my life – like she is in so many others – for whom I will always be eternally grateful."
The following is the text of Rosemary’s acceptance speech:
Rosemary’s Acceptance Address
Good afternoon. I'm so honored and incredibly humbled by this special, once in a lifetime award. I have to admit that you start to feel a little old when organizations start inducting you into special groups. This KHSSL Hall of Fame family, however, is one group that I'm beyond overjoyed to become a permanent part of, even if it does make me feel a little long in the tooth.
When I first began thinking about what I needed to say today, I was overwhelmed with how to approach it. How do you even begin to fully describe your love, passion, involvement, and let's face it--addiction to the wonderful world of competitive speech? Let's go way, way, way back so that I can tell you how my story began.
The year was 1984. Yes. Thirty years ago. I'll go ahead and tell you that I'll be 44 next month, so you do the math. We had moved to be near my mom's side of the family. I had left my best friends behind and just knew my life was over. I began my year at Russellville Middle School in Logan County, not far from Bowling Green. A few months into the semester, Mrs. Sarah Flowers and Mrs. Cheryl Milam asked me if I'd like to be a part of the speech team. I agreed. We only competed at regionals and state. And state was here on this campus. I had a horrible storytelling piece about the three little pigs. I'm pretty sure it was one of those old school pieces on carbon paper with the stapled blue band on it. You older coaches will remember those. I was ready.
Now, I should say that I've told very few people this story. I don't even know that I told my parents about it because it was such a horrifying experience for a beginning speech kid. I walked into my first round at state. It's was the 80's and before the days of speech suits for girls. I had a white, lace collared blouse, a long denim prairie skirt, black tights, and new black flats. I'm not sure why I was trying to look like a cast member of "Little House on the Prairie," but hey.
I'm in the middle of my story and get to the part where one of the pigs karate chops the wolf. That's when it happened. I guess my feet were a little sweaty from nerves because the shoe flew into the air, across the room, and hit the judge right in her face. I wanted to stop, cry, run, hide in a bathroom stall, but I knew I had to finish. And I did. I didn't break to semis, but I had learned a few things: Judges are tough, proper footwear is crucial, and no matter what--you can't stop.
I went on to compete all the way through my senior year under the incredible coaching direction of Jim Turner and Sharon Dockins at Logan County High School. Through hard work and amazing guidance from Mr. Turner, we realized that Humorous Interp was my thing. Back then, though, it was rare to have girls in HI. I remember that in 1989 and 1990 there were maybe five of us girls on the Kentucky HI circuit. Veteran coach Larry England will agree because his own daughter was one of them. I loved every minute of it.
KHSSL State was relocated to WKU my junior year. I made state semis in HI and promised myself I'd advance the next year. My senior year I met my goals. State finalist in HI, plus nationals for CFL and NFL, now NSDA. I should say that CFL national qualifiers is where I first got to know the Blair family, most notably Mrs. Katy Blair Cecil.
Graduation was the night before NCFL in Chicago, so I got my diploma, sang my solo, and got on a twin engine airplane. We flew to Chicago, through a thunderstorm, and had to reroute. I arrived in Chicago at 6 a.m. on the morning of NCFL. My first round was at 8. I was punchy from sleep deprivation, but managed not to make Mr. Garland Blair mad at me. I still have that beautiful NCFL trophy for reaching the top 24. And Mark Etherton deserves a thank you for navigating my mom and me through the Los Angeles airport for NFL in 1990. I remember it, trust me. Thanks, Mark.
Then came my acceptance to a then fledgling WKU Forensics team and my true connection to Katy Blair Cecil. College forensics was a different animal. We were under the direction of Judy Woodring and it was the hardest I'd ever worked. Four day tournaments, the expectation to compete in up to six events, the pressure to keep your grades up to maintain your scholarship. By the end of my freshman year, I was named pentathlon champion at KFA state, meaning that I finaled in at least five of my six events. I was devastated in the fall when I had to leave the team due to personal issues.
By then, Katy had become a sister to me. I transferred to the WKU Theatre Department, finishing my bachelor's degree and teaching certification in grades 5-12 in Theatre, Speech Communications, and English. I became a part of the theatre family, attended graduate school in England, and came back to start teaching at Bowling Green High School and rebuilding the speech team there. After all, competitive speech was missing from my life and I had to get it back.
And I had to get my friendships back that I missed so dearly. Katy, of course, and so many people I can't possibly list. I watched that program grow to national semifinalists and state champions. Some of those former students are here today to judge for state. When I left Bowling Green in 2002 to move to Louisville with my husband, Jonathan, I missed my speech team so much. Again, I knew I couldn't stay away.
I was hired by North Oldham High School to be their fine arts department chair and head speech coach. In 2003, we had three students on the team, this year we have 28. Even though I stopped teaching full-time in 2008 to run my own photography studio, I drive to practices nearly 40 minutes one way there days a week. We have built not just a successful legacy at North, but a family. We raise our own funds and I am the only coach, but thanks to incredible team captains, peer coaches, and parents, we make it happen. This year will lead me into my 30th year of being involved in forensics, and my 17th year of coaching. And I love it more every single year.
I'd like to take to the time especially thank my Louisville region coaches past and present, most notably Amy Zuccaro (I know we make each other crazy, but I love you), Daniel Hamm, Jeff Mangum, Woody Zorn, Bill Thompson (who flew up from Florida to be here today--I miss our lunch dates at El Nopal), Eric Cecil, Gary Allender, Gregg Bowen, and the late great Carter Lasure. And I have to give a special shout-out to Steve Meadows for his random texts filled with Stewie video clips from "Family Guy."
To my speech team family, you fellow coaches from across this state, I could spend all day talking about our little individual connections. I respect you so much how you serve your speech and debate communities). There are too many to list, but please know I love you all.
To my speech team parents from 1998 to now, thank you for your support. You have no idea how important and special you are to me and to the success of this activity. From my former students at Bowling Green High School to North Oldham High School to my current team members sitting in this auditorium today, you are my heart. I can only hope that I have done for you what my coaches did for me. Because speech teaches you so much more than technical skills. It teaches you to push yourself, win with professionalism, lose with grace, want the best for you and your teammates, respect those around you, and never, ever give up. Even when you end up physically accosting your judge with a shoe.
Katy Blair Cecil, as the person who's known me the longest in this dysfunctional, yet beautiful speech family, I just can't thank you enough for having my back for nearly three decades. You've fought for me, talked me down from a ledge or two, and reminded me to be here for the kids, but also give myself permission to take some of the credit for success in what I do. As you said to me earlier this weekend, there are just no words. Because there aren't. It's just Katy and Rosey.
I'd like to thank my mom and dad, who are here today. They have loved me unconditionally and always encouraged me to be my best, even when it's meant not being able to visit as much as I should. To my brothers, Mitch and Rex, and their families--Dana, Stacey, Sam, Addie, Mary Katherine and Paul Thomas, I love you.
Finally, to my patient husband, Jonathan, who got dragged into this crazy activity and has judged way more pieces about mentally ill, unwed, pregnant, babies with serial killer tendencies. You've driven us around at every CFL national tournament since 2001. I'm sorry. You're an amazing man with more patience than anyone should have to possess because you're married to me. I thank the Lord above each day that you responded to my love@aol.com message via dialup Internet back in the year 2000.
I'd like to leave you with a quotation from one of my favorite films, "It's a Wonderful Life."
Clarence the angel tells George Bailey to remember, "No man is a failure who has friends."
I feel like I've succeeded beyond my wildest dreams because I get to spend time with all of you.