Several factors have contributed to the increased demand for corporate speechwriters, including the consumer and environmental movements, the economy, foreign competition, and a negative public attitude toward business. Corporate speeches serve a variety of purposes: promoting a corporation within a business community, providing information on specific issues that affect particular industries or companies, and advancing individual careers. Chief executive officers frequently speak at business conventions or college convocations but also spend a good deal of time addressing internal audiences. Most companies hire someone to write specifically for these occasions, although some may turn to outside public relations counsel or to free lancers. In a few instances, the speech may be written by the executive or by his or her assistant. In a survey of communication specialists in 128 Fortune 500 companies, only one had a degree in speech, compared to 42 in journalism, 32 in English, and 13 in history or political science. This may be because speechwriting is not an entry level job. But as corporate speechwriting becomes an established career field, more and more speech majors will begin filling corporate speechwriting positions. (HTH)