The primary purpose of this study is to survey the attitudes of high school teachers toward the oral interpretation contests of the University Interscholastic League in Texas. The secondary purpose is to trace the development of those contests from their inception to the present time. The thesis contains four chapters: I -- An explanation of the purposes and procedures followed in the study. II -- A history of the interpretation competition in the Texas University Interscholastic League. III -- A compilation of the results of a questionnaire mailed to 240 selected teachers. IV -- A summary of the attitudes reflected in the questionnaires and recommendations for changes in the current structure of the University Interscholastic League.