ants . ▁Jud ges ▁considered ▁excell ence ▁of ▁thought , ▁style , ▁and ▁delivery ; ▁the ▁person ▁receiving ▁the ▁highest ▁rating ▁was ▁awarded ▁first ▁place ▁and ▁$ 1 0 0 . ▁At ▁the ▁meeting ▁held ▁in ▁Chicago ▁on ▁June ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁a ▁permanent ▁organization ▁was ▁formed ▁with ▁represent atives ▁from ▁Wisconsin , ▁Illinois , ▁Ohio , ▁Indiana , ▁and ▁Michigan ▁present . ▁An ▁annual ▁contest ▁has ▁been ▁held ▁every ▁year ▁since ▁then . ▁ ▁Between ▁ 1 8 7 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁single ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁contest ▁with ▁each ▁or ator ▁representing ▁a ▁state . ▁However , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁the ▁IO A ▁committee ▁decided ▁to ▁two ▁divisions , ▁one ▁for ▁men ▁and ▁one ▁for ▁women . ▁This ▁practice ▁continued ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁when ▁the ▁Association ▁decided ▁to ▁revert ▁to ▁its ▁original ▁format ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁division ▁with ▁each ▁state ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁top ▁two ▁or ators ▁selected ▁at ▁their ▁state ▁championship ▁tournament . ▁ ▁Cont est ▁w inners ▁were ▁awarded ▁mon et ary ▁g ifts ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁IO A ▁voted ▁to ▁give ▁med als ▁and ▁certific ates ▁instead .   T od ay , ▁pla ques ▁are ▁awarded ▁to ▁the ▁semi - final ists ▁and ▁final ists ▁within ▁in ▁the ▁contest . ▁ ▁The ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁IO A ▁annual ▁contest ▁rot ated ▁among ▁member ▁states , ▁and ▁for ▁a ▁time ▁period ,