Margaret Cain Duffner (F)
b. 1918, d. 26 March 2009
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     Margaret Cain Duffner was born in 1918 at Illinois.

Margaret married John T. Duffner circa 1940. She was a Professor in Forensic Speech at circa 1970 at George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia, The GMU Forensics Team was founded by Margaret Duffner shortly after George Mason became a university. Margaret was instrumental both in coaching GMU's first few national champions and in establishing her guiding vision for the team. She wanted a program which was not only capable of being competitively successful, but which centered on education. That vision still guides the team, and is commemorated in our annual Margaret C. Duffner Award, given to the team member who best represents the goals and ideals of GMU Forensics.¹ The Mason Gazette of April 2001
History-Making Forensics Team Hosts National Tournament
By Kate Passin
With more than 13,000 awards, one national title, numerous top-10 national finishes, and countless other achievements, the Communication Department's forensics program is George Mason's most successful academic team. Now, the forensics program can add another impressive accomplishment to its 30-year existence. The team will host the American Forensic Association's (AFA) 2001 National Individual Events Tournament, April 7 to 9, on the Fairfax Campus.
Almost 800 students, coaches, and judges, representing more than 100 universities from across the nation, will travel to George Mason to participate in the prestigious tournament. The competition consists of 11 categories, in which are held preliminary, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final rounds. The finals will be held on Monday, April 9, and the tournament concludes with an awards ceremony when the top 20 teams and top 20 overall speakers will be announced.
The tournament was founded in 1977, and George Mason is one of the tournament's original members. The university is also one of only eight schools to have participated in the tournament every year since its inception. The Mason team won the tournament in 1979 and has placed in the top 20 every year but two. Many past team members have received top speaker honors, most recently in 1998 and 1999.
The team was awarded 16th place at last year's competition, and Jim Kimble, the current director of the team, is confident that the team will do just as well or better this year. "From the beginning, there has been a mentality to work hard, and over a period of years that mentality became a tradition, a living force that we strive to meet," says Kimble.
The team's rich history began in 1971 when Margaret Duffner, a professor in the English Department (the Communication Department did not yet exist), received an invitation for students to participate in an intercollegiate forensics competition at Old Dominion University. Duffner thought forensics "might be fun" and could possibly help the university become better known. The forensics program took off from there.
Six or seven students participated in the first competition, and according to Duffner, Brenda Hall won Mason's first individual forensics trophy, taking second place in poetry for her interpretation of "Wild Grapes" by Robert Frost. Duffner, who left George Mason in 1975, is now retired and lives in Florida. She will return for the AFA tournament and speak at a dinner for Mason's forensics team alumni on April 7 at George's Restaurant.
The forensics team has more than 200 alumni, and many of them are expected to attend the event's festivities and be tournament judges. Alumni members have formed the George Mason University Forensics Team Alumni Chapter (GMUFTAC). Any forensics team alumni who want to join the chapter may e-mail Chris Tittel, GMUFTAC treasurer and assistant director of the forensics team, at tintin_64@hotmail.com. She died on 26 March 2009 at Marco Island, Florida.² Margaret's obituary appeared in the George Mason University, "The Mason Gazette", on 14 April 2009. She was buried on 26 June 2009 Columbarium, Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Attendees included Dolores Marie Frost, S. David Frost, Mark Duffner, John David Duffner and Kathy Duffner.²

Last Edited=20 May 2009