The Tennessee Scopes Trial: Its Historic Impact on America

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006
4-6 p.m.
Ellis Auditorium

Chancellor Brady J. Deaton

MU Chancellor Brady J. Deaton moderated the fifth of a series of open forums on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005. Participants discussed the historical and social context of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial and how we are impacted today.

The Scopes trial tested a law forbidding state-funded educational institutions to teach evolution instead of creationism. John Scopes, a high school science teacher, challenged the state law in Tennessee. His trial quickly became a national battleground and drew the attention of fundamentalists and the American Civil Liberties Union. A timeline and photos from the trial are available on the National Public Radio Web site.


The Panelists

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Richard Callahan
Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

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Robert Collins
Frederick A. Middlebush Professor of History

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Frank Schmidt
Professor of Biochemistry

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Betty Winfield
Curators' Professor of Journalism