John T. Scopes
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Tags: Education, Science & Technology, Historical, John Scopes, Scopes Monkey, scopes monkey trial, evolution, education, tenessee By: RaviStar |
"If you can prove that I've taught evolution and that I can qualify as a defendant, then I'll be willing to stand trial."
Origin of teaching
John Thomas Scopes was born and raised in the town of Paducah, Kentucky o August 3rd, 1900. Both of his parents encouraged John and his siblings to learn and challenge themselves, and saw John particularly as “an extraordinary boy”. Scopes was very heavily influenced by his father’s politics, especially as he became more liberal after working as a union railroad machinist, pacifist and socialist. When he was eleven years old, his family moved to Danville, Illinois where he was educated at Danville High School. Five years later his family moved
once again to the rural community of Salem Illinois, where he graduated as part of the class of 1919. Coincidentally, this was also the hometown of William Jennings Bryan, a man held in the highest regard, next to his father, by Scopes. He called Bryan “the greatest man produced in the United States since Thomas Jefferson.” After high school, Scopes attended the University of Kentucky and received a degree in law by 1924. He moved to Dayton, Tennessee to take a job as a football coach and substitute biology teacher for Rhea County High School. Though he planned only to stay temporarily, he stayed a week longer than expected to go on a date with “a beautiful blonde.” His plans began to change even more when a young boy came to summon him to the local drugstore while he was playing tennis one afternoon in May of 1925.
Evolving education
A group of businessmen at “Doc” Robinson’s Drugstore, led by engineer/geologist George Rappalyea, were having a discussion about trying gain some publicity for their small town. Rappalyea suggested to the businessmen, and in turn to Scopes, that he should challenge the Butler Act of Tennessee, which illegalized the teaching of evolution in school. The biology book issued to schools statewide, however, contained a chapter on evolution, and therefore, according to Rappalyea, required teachers to break the law. Incidentally, the ACLU claimed that they would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act. Though reluctant when first approached about the prospect, he soon was coerced into the role, on record for having said "If you can prove that I've taught evolution and that I can qualify as a defendant, then I'll be willing to stand trial."
Guilty of science
Though the details of whether Scopes actually taught any students the topic of evolution is under speculation still today, there was enough evidence for the prosecution of Scopes. The legendary defense team and equally renowned great prosecution consisted of some very crucial names in constitutional law. Some of these on the defense were Clarence Darrow, Dudley Field Malone, and Arthur Garfield Hays, while on the prosecution bench sat Tom Stewart, brothers Herbert and Sue Hicks, and father and son pairs of Ben and J. Gordon McKenzie, and William Jennings Bryan and William Jennings Bryan Jr. Though the proceeding was held to be questionable in its ruling, Scopes was found guilty and fined 100$, which Bryan and the ACLU both offered to pay. After an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court, a 3-1 decision presented by Chief Justice Grafton Greene, the Butler Act was declared to uphold the Constitution, but overturned Scopes’ conviction on a technicality. The Butler Act remained intact until 1967, when it was finally repealed by the state legislature.
Origin of teaching
John Thomas Scopes was born and raised in the town of Paducah, Kentucky o August 3rd, 1900. Both of his parents encouraged John and his siblings to learn and challenge themselves, and saw John particularly as “an extraordinary boy”. Scopes was very heavily influenced by his father’s politics, especially as he became more liberal after working as a union railroad machinist, pacifist and socialist. When he was eleven years old, his family moved to Danville, Illinois where he was educated at Danville High School. Five years later his family moved
once again to the rural community of Salem Illinois, where he graduated as part of the class of 1919. Coincidentally, this was also the hometown of William Jennings Bryan, a man held in the highest regard, next to his father, by Scopes. He called Bryan “the greatest man produced in the United States since Thomas Jefferson.” After high school, Scopes attended the University of Kentucky and received a degree in law by 1924. He moved to Dayton, Tennessee to take a job as a football coach and substitute biology teacher for Rhea County High School. Though he planned only to stay temporarily, he stayed a week longer than expected to go on a date with “a beautiful blonde.” His plans began to change even more when a young boy came to summon him to the local drugstore while he was playing tennis one afternoon in May of 1925.
Evolving education
A group of businessmen at “Doc” Robinson’s Drugstore, led by engineer/geologist George Rappalyea, were having a discussion about trying gain some publicity for their small town. Rappalyea suggested to the businessmen, and in turn to Scopes, that he should challenge the Butler Act of Tennessee, which illegalized the teaching of evolution in school. The biology book issued to schools statewide, however, contained a chapter on evolution, and therefore, according to Rappalyea, required teachers to break the law. Incidentally, the ACLU claimed that they would finance a test case challenging the constitutionality of the Butler Act. Though reluctant when first approached about the prospect, he soon was coerced into the role, on record for having said "If you can prove that I've taught evolution and that I can qualify as a defendant, then I'll be willing to stand trial."
Guilty of science
Though the details of whether Scopes actually taught any students the topic of evolution is under speculation still today, there was enough evidence for the prosecution of Scopes. The legendary defense team and equally renowned great prosecution consisted of some very crucial names in constitutional law. Some of these on the defense were Clarence Darrow, Dudley Field Malone, and Arthur Garfield Hays, while on the prosecution bench sat Tom Stewart, brothers Herbert and Sue Hicks, and father and son pairs of Ben and J. Gordon McKenzie, and William Jennings Bryan and William Jennings Bryan Jr. Though the proceeding was held to be questionable in its ruling, Scopes was found guilty and fined 100$, which Bryan and the ACLU both offered to pay. After an appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court, a 3-1 decision presented by Chief Justice Grafton Greene, the Butler Act was declared to uphold the Constitution, but overturned Scopes’ conviction on a technicality. The Butler Act remained intact until 1967, when it was finally repealed by the state legislature.
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