Brooks Quimby Debate Council

The Brooks Quimby Debate Council (BQDC) is a debate society in Lewiston, Maine, primarily comprising students from Bates College. The society, known for participating in British and American Parliamentary debate styles, competes in the American Parliamentary Debate Association and the World Universities Debating Championship. Notably, it engaged in a debate with Oxford University in 1923, marking Oxford's first debate in the United States.

The BQDC has achieved success in some of the world's most important debate tournaments. The team has reached the final round of the World Universities Debating Championships (WUDC) twice. Zoë Seaman-Grant and Matt Davis reached Grand Finals during WUDC 2017 in The Hague. Manuel Machorro and Oyuka Lyndon reached Grand Finals during WUDC 2025 in Panama City. In 2024, the BQDC also reached the final round of the Oxford Inter-varsity Competition. The team has reached the finals of the US Universities Debating Championship on three occasions, becoming national runner-ups in 2019 and 2025, and national champions in 2014.

Nationally, it ranked 5th in 2013 and 9th globally in 2012. The New York Times once described Bates College as a central hub for college debating in America in 1922.