Rostrum was founded by Sidney F. Wicks.
Wicks was an author, an advertising executive for the Manchester Guardian, public relations practitioner Company Director and Newspaper Chief Editor.
He came to believe that people needed to think through their own decision-making processes rather than just accept the promotions of the press and other interested parties.
On 21 July 1923, he founded a club in Manchester with the prime purpose to encourage men to listen to many sources before formulating their own opinions, and then to speak their minds to groups of others in a way that would encourage them to listen.
The club began as an offshoot of the Manchester YMCA Businessmen's Speaking Class.

After the first meeting under a yew tree at Greendale Farm near Manchester, meetings for YMCA members were held on Wednesday evenings in the local YMCA building.
In 1924 a young Australian Engineer training in Manchester, Alan Crook (later MBE), joined Rostrum while studying at the Victoria University of Manchester.
The following year he returned to Australia.
Rostrum was founded by Sidney F. Wicks. Wicks was an author, an advertising executive for the Manchester Guardian, public relations practitioner Company Director and Newspaper Chief Editor. He came to believe that people needed to think through their own decision-making processes rather than just accept the promotions of the press and other interested parties. On 21 July 1923, he founded a club in Manchester with the prime purpose to encourage men to listen to many sources before formulating their own opinions, and then to speak their minds to groups of others in a way that would encourage them to listen. The club began as an offshoot of the Manchester YMCA Businessmen's Speaking Class.
After the first meeting under a yew tree at Greendale Farm near Manchester, meetings for YMCA members were held on Wednesday evenings in the local YMCA building. In 1924 a young Australian Engineer training in Manchester, Alan Crook (later MBE), joined Rostrum while studying at the Victoria University of Manchester. The following year he returned to Australia.
Australian Rostrum