Merry Kitzmas! 2025 is the 20th anniversary of Kitzmiller v. Dover and the 100th of the Scopes Trial

UPDATE, Dec. 22: I have now listed 52 separate events I found, including links and quotes of the summaries where available. Please contribute more in the comments!

Merry Kitzmas to all! Today is the 19th anniversary of the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial, aka the Dover Panda Trial, held from September-November 2005, and decided on December 20, 2005.

Next year, 2025, will be the 20th anniversary of Kitzmiller, as well as the 100th anniversary of Tennessee v. Scopes, aka the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Stuck as I am, in Australia/New Zealand with 3 little kids, I expect I will have to follow events from afar. But I will use this thread to accumulate links & dates for relevant events as they come up. And please contribute ones you come across!

I expect that many are glum about current politics and science, but I recall a similar feeling in 2004, and that Kitzmiller v. Dover was one of the early signs that committed citizens could move events in a pro-science direction. May 2025 be another such time!

Summaries of events are posted below, with abstracts where available:

Vanderbilt University, Scopes Trial Symposium, July 12-13, 2025

Scopes "Monkey" Trial Centennial Symposium
Vanderbilt University, July 12-13, 2025
https://www.vanderbilt.edu/evolution/scopes-symposium/

...following on from...

ISEMPH 2025 Meeting

International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health
Vanderbilt University, July 8-10, 2025


The weekend following the ISEMPH conference (7/12/25 – 7/13/25), we will host an academic symposium featuring dozens of wonderful guest speakers from around the world. This event is sponsored in part by the National Center for Science Education. Leading experts (Ed Larson, Randy Moore, and Adam Laats) on all things Scopes will speak about the history of the trial. Next, we’ll hear about issues facing teachers today as they try to navigate teaching evolution (Barbara Forrest, Kenneth Miller, Amanda Townley). Then, we will hear from folks at the forefront of their evolution-focused fields about their research (Sean Carroll, Jonathan Losos, Marlene Zuk, Stephen Brusatte, and Briana Pobiner). We’ll finish off Day 1 with a roundtable discussion on evolutionary science in the 21st century.

Day 2 will kick off with evolutionary research in fields other than biology, such as medicine (Paul Turner), agriculture (Sophien Kamoun), and the law (Owen Jones). After that, we’ll have another section on teaching evolution in a broader sense (Gale Sinatra, Patricia Hawley, Corrie Moreau, Riley Black, and Joseph Graves, Jr.). Our last proper session will be on the relationship of evolution and religion (Jamie Jensen, Katy Hinman, Liz Barnes and Lee Meadows). We’ll end with a second roundtable discussion on the future of evolution education.

The Scopes Trial Centennial at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Scopes Trial Centennial Celebration

https://artsci.utk.edu/scopes-trial-centennial-celebration/

The Scopes Trial Centennial at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is a year-long program that marks the 100th anniversary of the July 1925 trial of John Thomas Scopes. As a high-school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, Scopes was accused of violating the state’s Butler Act, which made it illegal to teach human evolution in any public school or university.

The trial generated intense national publicity, as reporters flocked to Dayton to cover the high-profile lawyers facing each other in court. William Jennings Bryan, a three-time presidential candidate and former secretary of state, argued for the prosecution against ACLU lawyer Clarence Darrow, who served as the defense attorney for Scopes. The trial reflected a tension between religious fundamentalists and modern science that persists in America today.

The Scopes Trial Centennial program will include Clarence Brown Theatre’s production of Inherit the Wind (February 14–March 2, 2025), which portrays a fictionalized version of the trial.

The program will also showcase the university’s annual Darwin Day, hosted by the McClung Museum on a Sunday afternoon the week of Darwin’s birthday in early February.

Throughout the year, a rich variety of speakers and exhibitions are being planned to address issues related to religion and science, American history, evolution, eugenics, journalism, law, and related topics. Additional programming is being developed that will be included as it is finalized.

The Scopes Trial Centennial is organized by the UT College of Arts and Sciences (involving all three divisions) in collaboration with the College of Law, UT Libraries, the Institute for American Civics, Phi Beta Kappa Epsilon of Tennessee, and the Knoxville History Project.

Historical images are from the public domain, originally taken by the Associated Press in 1925.


A variety of talks on Scopes history and evolutionary science...I will quote the abstracts of the Scopes ones below.

Events

Religion vs. Science? The Scopes Trial and Beyond
November 12, 2024, 4:30 – 5:30 P.M., John C. Hodges Library, Room 100

Simone des Roches: Conserving Intraspecific Variation for Ecosystems and People
November 13, 2024, 12:40 – 1:30 P.M., Science and Engineering Building

Evolution, Intelligent Design, and a Pennsylvania School Board – a discussion with Gordy Slack
November 14, 2024, 4:00 P.M., Student Union Executive Dining Room 377A

An evening with Gordon Burghardt on the Scopes Trial and Evolution in East Tennessee
November 19, 2024, 7:00 – 9:00 P.M., Student Union 262 A/B

Naturalist Club Photo Gallery
January & February 2025, Hodges Library Starbucks

Naturalist Club Photo Gallery – Reception
January 27, 2025, 1:00 – 3:00 P.M., Mary Greer room in Hodges Library

Catherine Schuman: Evolution and Computing
January 29, 2025, 12:40 – 1:30 P.M., Science and Engineering Building 307

Pamela Soltis: Polyploid Evolution: Integration across scales and biological systems
February 12, 2025, 12:40 – 1:30 P.M., Science and Engineering Building 307

Inherit the Wind
February 14-March 2, 2025, Times Vary, Clarence Brown Theatre

Ed Larson: The Scopes Trial in History and Folklore
February 13, 2025, 5:30 – 6:30 P.M., Student Union 262
Darwin Day at the McClung Museum
February 23, 2025, Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture

Sara Lipshutz: Fighting for fitness: Integrating behavioral, hormonal and neurogenomic perspectives on the evolution of female competition
February 24, 2025, 12:40 – 1:30 P.M., Science and Engineering Building

Charles Israel: Before Scopes: Evangelicals, Education and Evolution in Tennessee, 1870-1925
March 25, 2025, 12:00 – 1:00 P.M., College of Law

Matthew Sutton: The Scopes Trial and the Rise of Evangelical Politics
March 27, 2025, 5:00 – 6:00 P.M., Mossman 102

Paul A. Lombardo: “Apes, Men & Morons”: Evolution, Eugenics, and the Scopes Trial
March 31, 2025, 7:30 – 9:30 P.M., Strong Hall B1

Menno Schilthuizen: “Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution”
April 7, 2025, 3:30 – 5:00 P.M., Student Union 169

Jessica Ware: Dragonflies and damselflies: genomics, systematics and evolution May 5, 2025, 12:40 – 1:30 P.M., Science and Engineering Building

Religion vs. Science? The Scopes Trial and Beyond
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/religion-vs-science-the-scopes-trial-and-beyond

Religion vs. Science? The Scopes Trial and Beyond

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 4:30pm to 6pm

About this Event

John C Hodges Library, 100
1015 Volunteer Blvd, Knoxville TN

The 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial often stands as a classic case demonstrating a fundamental conflict between religious and scientific worldviews. However, such characterizations mask the deeper complexities involved both in the trial and other historical engagements between religious and scientific perspectives. This panel brings together four scholars of religious studies to discuss how academic approaches to religion, culture, science, and media help move beyond the conflict thesis, demonstrating avenues for collaboration and understanding between diverse stakeholders as the 21st century progresses.

Panel Participants:

Dr. Joseph Witt: Associate Professor of Religious Studies, focusing on Religion, the Natural World, and Appalachia

Dr. David Kline: Senior Lecturer of Religious Studies, focusing on Religion, Media, and Political and Contextual Christian Thought

Dr. Megan Bryson: Associate Professor of Religious Studies, focusing on Asian Religions and Scientific Discourse

Dr. Erin Darby: Associate Professor of Religious Studies, focusing on Judaism and the interpretation of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

If you are unable to attend inperson, we welcome you to join my registering with the link below.

Evolution, Intelligent Design and a Pennsylvania School Board - Gordy Slack
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/evolution-intelligent-design-and-a-pennsylvania-school-board-gordy-slack

Thursday, November 14, 2024 4pm to 5:30pm

Evolution, Intelligent Design and a Pennsylvania School Board - Gordy Slack

Flyer for talk

About this Event

Student Union, 377A
1502 Cumberland Ave. Knoxville, TN 37996

A first-hand account by an author who witnessed the 2005 trial challenging the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution, in the school district of Dover PA.

An evening with Gordon Burghardt on the Scopes Trial and Evolution in East Tennessee

https://calendar.utk.edu/event/an-evenng-with-gordon-burghardt-on-the-scopes-trial-and-evolution-in-east-tennessee

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 7pm to 9pm

An evening with Gordon Burghardt on the Scopes Trial and Evolution in East Tennessee

About this Event

Student Union, Su262 A/B
1502 Cumberland Ave. Knoxville, TN 37996

Part of a seminar series on Innovations In Evolution on the 100th anniversary of the Scopes Trial

The Scopes Trial in History and Folklore
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/the-scopes-trial-in-history-and-folklore

Thursday, February 13, 2025 5:30pm to 6:30pm

The Scopes Trial in History and Folklore

Edward Larson

Event description

A century ago in Dayton, Tennessee, sensation-loving journalists of the 1920s transformed a small-town misdemeanor trial, brought under a new state law against teaching the theory of evolution in public schools, into a legendary clash of worldviews pitting populist orator, politician William Jennings Bryan and libertarian secularist, attorney Clarence Darrow. Over the ensuing years, fact and fiction blurred into the mythical version of the Tennessee Monkey Trial celebrated in bestselling books, Broadway plays, and Hollywood movies. In his lecture, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Edward Larson separates history from folklore in relating the story of the Scopes trial then and thereafter.

Ed Larson holds the Darling Chair in Law and is a University Professor of History at Pepperdine University. Recipient of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in History, Larson served as Associate Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives and taught for twenty years at the University of Georgia, where he chaired the history department. The author of fifteen books and over eighty published articles, his books include A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800; Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory; the Pulitzer Prize winning Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion, and the New York Times bestsellers, The Return of George Washington, 1783-1789 and Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership. Larson recently published, American Inheritance: Liberty and Slavery in the Birth of a Nation, 1765-1795. Larson has served as a visiting professor at Yale Law School, Stanford Law School, the University of Melbourne, Leiden University, and the University of Richmond.

Darwin Day at the McClung Museum

February 23, 2025, Frank H. McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture

[Details TBA it looks like]

Before Scopes: Evangelicals, Education and Evolution in Tennessee, 1870-1925
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/before-scopes-evangelicals-education-and-evolution-in-tennessee-1870-1925-3274

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 12pm to 1pm

Before Scopes: Evangelicals, Education and Evolution in Tennessee, 1870-1925

Dr. Charles Israel, Auburn University, will discuss his award winning book as part of the Scopes series of events.

Event dates

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 12pm to 1pm

The Scopes Trial and the Rise of Evangelical Politics
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/the-scopes-trial-and-the-rise-of-evangelical-politics

Event description

Part of "Scopes Trial Centennial" series of events

2025 Milton Klein Lecture Series

with speaker Matt Sutton, Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor of History at Washington State University

In recent years, evangelicals have become the largest and most powerful multi-issue interest group in the Republican Party. Historians have long focused on the Scopes Trial as the start of evangelical political engagement, setting the trajectory that runs through the 2024 presidential campaign. Sutton will argue that Scopes marked an important turning point, but not necessarily for the reasons we usually think.

Matthew Avery Sutton is the Berry Family Distinguished Professor in the Liberal Arts and the chair of the Department of History at Washington State University. His most recent book is Double Crossed: The Missionaries Who Spied for the United States During the Second World War (Basic Books, 2019). He is also the author of American Apocalypse: A History of Modern Evangelicalism (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2014), and Aimee Semple McPherson and the Resurrection of Christian America (Harvard University Press, 2007). He has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and New Republic. In 2016 he was appointed a Guggenheim Foundation Fellow.

Event dates

Thursday, March 27, 2025 5pm

Apes, Men, and Morons: Evolution, Eugenics, and the Scopes Trial
https://calendar.utk.edu/event/apes-men-and-morons-evolution-eugenics-and-the-scopes-trial

Event description

Dr. Paul Lombardo, Regents’ Professor and Bobby Lee Cook Professor of Law at Georgia State University, is a noted historian of eugenics and compulsory sterilization laws in the United States. He will be speaking on the role that eugenics played in the Scopes "Monkey" Trial.

The “Monkey Trial” Centennial provides an opportunity to examine the widespread misunderstanding about how ideas of evolution and eugenics were implicated in the famous Scopes controversy. George William Hunter’s textbook Civic Biology was the focus of the case. It endorsed evolution, a theory “that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible” -- content prohibited by a 1925 Tennessee law.

The Hunter text also contained a chapter on eugenics. In recent years an elaborate mythology has arisen suggesting that the case, and William Jennings Bryan’s advocacy at trial, represented a challenge to eugenics. That claim is demonstrably false. The teaching of eugenics in its many forms was supported not only by educators, but also by members of the clergy and politicians all across the United States. That support was evident before the Scopes case and continued for decades afterwards, persisting even in full awareness of the Nazi government program that sterilized almost 1/2 million Germans.

This talk will explain that while William Jennings Bryan rejected the monkey- to-man account of evolution and the cruelties he associated with Darwinian “natural selection,” he made no blanket condemnation of eugenics. To the contrary, Bryan and his wife readily allied themselves with several famous eugenists and supported eugenic ideology when it coincided with the social policies they favored.

Event dates

Monday, March 31, 2025 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Event Location
Strong Hall , B1
1621 West Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37996

Scopes Trial Centennial

https://www.scopes100.com/

March-July 2025, Dayton, Tennessee

Dayton, Tennessee, back to and including 1925, has promoted the town and the region as the site of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial, the (first) “Trial of the Century”.

For the 100th, they do not disappoint, with a variety of events ranging from scholarly to artistic and stage, and including even a Strawberry Festival. Naturally, some of this involves fundamentalist Bryan College in Dayton, which itself traces right back to the Scopes Trial and William Jennings Bryan, so your mileage may vary.

However, having attended some similar events in 2014-2015, I expect many of these are worth going to. In 2014 or 2015 I went to a stage production called something like “Our Story”, which was in a sense about the Scopes Trial, but more about the perspective of the locals, which they felt had been left out with the usual discussion of the huge science/religion issues.

Dayton, Tennessee

Scopes Trial Centennial 2025 March-July 2025, Dayton, Tennessee

For more information about the celebration of the Scopes Trial Centennial visit: https://www.scopes100.com/ Events Throughout the balance of 2024 and through 2025, we will be celebrating the Scopes Trial Centennial in a variety of ways. We invite you to participate in as many of these events as possible. Check the website and our social media links (Facebook and Instagram) regularly for updates.

Centennial Exhibit at Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum

The museum will display a special collection of historic items during the Scopes100 Centennial.

Student Visits to Courthouse & Museum

Rhea County’s historic courthouse offers a unique and convenient educational experience for students.

March 18-20: How It Started (and Why?)

Junior high and high school students can enjoy a one-hour play, followed by a lecture & tour.

Centennial Exhibit at Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum
https://www.scopes100.com/post/centennial-exhibit

Updated: Oct 11

Centennial Exhibit
Museum open 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily.

Rhea County Heritage and Scopes Trial Museum

In conjunction with Scopes100 Centennial activities and events, the Scopes Trial Museum, located in the basement of the historic Rhea County courthouse. The museum will display a special collection of historic items during the Scopes100 Centennial. Details regarding these items will be provided on this page as we move closer to 1925. The museum is designed for free, self-guided touring, but a representative of the historical Society will be available to assist and answer questions.

Student Visits to Courthouse & Museum
https://www.scopes100.com/post/ongoing-student-tours-of-courthouse-museum

Courthouse & Museum Visits
Museum open 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily.

Historic Rhea County Courthouse

Call (423) 775-7801 to schedule a visit for your class.

Rhea County’s historic courthouse offers a unique and convenient educational experience for to students. A national historic landmark which served as the setting for the nation’s most famous courtroom trial, the courthouse, its courtroom and its museum enable students to travel back in time and learn about the debate between “creationist” and “evolutionist.” They will also come to understand the current issue of who decides a public school’s curriculum -- the parents or the teachers – is one which is long-standing.

https://www.scopes100.com/post/how-it-started-and-why

March 18-20: How It Started (and Why?)

"How It Started" Play & Discussion

March 18, 19, 20, 2025

Historic Rhea County Courthouse
FREE - Email admin@rheaheritage.com for reservations

Junior high and high school students are invited to learn about the Scopes Trial through a one-hour fact-based play, followed by a lecture/discussion and a tour of the Rhea Heritage & Scopes Trial Museum. A study guide will be given to teachers and students.

Space is limited, so reservations are necessary for this free event.

March 21-22: Centennial Kickoff Event Scopes Trial Centennial Kick-Off Dinner

https://www.scopes100.com/post/march-21-22-centennial-kickoff-event

Friday, March 21, 2025,
Bryan College

TICKETS SALES (coming soon)

Join us for an evening of commemoration at the Scopes Trial Centennial Kick-Off Dinner, honoring the legacy of the Butler Act with distinguished speaker Ed Larson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.

The evening will begin with a dinner featuring a prominent Tennessean, who will be announced closer to the event. Following the dinner, Ed Larson will unveil newly acquired and previously unseen photographs of the Scopes Trial, donated by a private party. These significant images will be presented to Bryan College and the Rhea County Historical Genealogical Society. Attendees will have the opportunity to view enlarged displays of the newly revealed photos, offering a unique glimpse into the historical significance of the Scopes Trial.

Tickets for this event are available for purchase, but seating is limited, so be sure to secure your spot for this important occasion!

Breakfast and Lecture Discussion

Saturday, March 22, 2025
Breakfast, (this event for educators only) 8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m., Bryan College Lecture-Discussion, 9:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Rhea County Courthouse

Reservations are FREE, but are required

Join us for a stimulating morning of conversation and insights with Dr. Edward J. Larson,

Pulitzer Prize-wining author of Summer for the Gods. Dr. Larson will meet with teachers forbreakfast at Bryan College, then move to the Rhea County Courthouse where he will deliver the keynote address, “Why we Celebrate the Scopes Trial,” offering a profound exploration of this pivotal moment in American history. Following his lecture he will take questions from the audience, including selected students.

The lecture will be presented in the Scopes Trial Courtroom of the Rhea County Courthouse.

Ticket reservations will be available soon, so stay tuned for your opportunity to participate in this engaging discussion! Don’t miss out on this chance to deepen your understanding of the Scopes Trial and its lasting implications and to introduce students to an eminent historian.

April 17: College Debate at the Courthouse: A Debate on School Choice
https://www.scopes100.com/post/college-debate-at-the-courthouse

Thursday, April 17, 2025,
Rhea County Courthouse

Reservations are FREE, but are required

Join us for an engaging debate featuring two talented students from the Bryan College Debate Team on Thursday, April 17th at 6:30 PM, held at the historic Rhea County Courthouse. The topic of discussion will be "School Choice," a crucial issue affecting education today. This event is free to attend, but registration is required due to limited seating. It promises to be an excellent educational opportunity for students and the Rhea County community alike. Don’t miss your chance to participate in the Scopes100 Centennial Celebration and witness a thought-provoking exchange of ideas!

May 5-10: 78th Annual Tennessee Strawberry Festival https://www.scopes100.com/post/78th-annual-tennessee-strawberry-festival

Updated: Dec 13

Theme: The Great Berry Debate

Join us for the 78th Annual Tennessee Strawberry Festival from May 5-10, 2025, with the exciting theme "The Great Berry Debate!" This year, we are not only celebrating the beloved strawberry but also commemorating 100 years since the Scopes Trials. Our unique theme will feature a strawberry debate that promises to engage and entertain participants of all ages.

The festival is packed with fun activities for everyone, from delicious strawberry treats to engaging events. Be sure to check the schedule for details on your favorite parts of the festival.

Don’t miss out on this delightful celebration! For more information, visit our website at https://tnstrawberryfestival.com/.

July 11-12: Heritage Days

https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-11-heritage-days-expo

Updated: Dec 13

Heritage Days Celebration
Friday, July 11 - Saturday, July 12, 2025
Lawn of Historic Rhea County Courthouse

Booths and displays on the grounds of the historic Rhea County Courthouse will offer educational and entertaining information about Rhea County and its heritage. Games, displays – some hands-on – and food will make for a fun outing for the whole family. Most activities will be free. If you are interested in exhibiting, email admin@rheaheritage.com for information.

July 11-12: Destiny in Dayton Drama
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-11-12-heritage-days-expo

Updated: Oct 12

Scopes Trial Dramatization

Fri., July 11, 2025, 7:00 PM / Sat., July 12, 2025, 2:00 PM

Scopes Trial Courtroom, Historic Rhea County Courthouse

BUY TICKETS

See a dramatization of the Scopes Trial in the courtroom where the trial was held in 1925. Destiny in Dayton adapts the trial transcript to an engrossing account of the trial, giving viewers an accurate picture of this duel of great men and great ideas.

July 11-12: Visit Historic Buttram Cemetery
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-11-12-buttram-cemetery-tour

Updated: Nov 4

Burial Site of Notable Scopes Trial Participants

July 11 & 12, 2025

Historic Rhea County Courthouse

Free transportation provided on demand.

The Buttram Cemetery, situated north of Dayton, Tennessee, and east of U.S. Highway 27, serves as the final resting place for numerous individuals having historical significance to Rhea County. Dating back to 1811, it is the burial location for no less than thirteen local citizens who played a notable role in trial of John Scopes.

To those wishing to visit the cemetery, transportation to and from Dayton’s historic courthouse will be provided upon demand at no charge. A representative of the Rhea County Historical Society will be available at the cemetery to answer questions. For those wishing to visit the cemetery on their own, a brochure will be available at the courthouse which allows for a self-guided tour.

July 13: Return to 1925
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-13-return-to-1925

Updated: Oct 11

What Life Was Like During the Scopes Trial Sunday, July 13, 1:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Historic Rhea County Courthouse Courtroom and Courthouse Lawn

Silent films free to public on a first-come/first serve basis.

Spend the day traveling back to the year 1925 and walk into the world of those local residents who attended the trial of John Scopes. See a collection of circa 1915-1925 vintage automobiles at the historic courthouse which were likely parked around its grounds. Attend one or more showings of silent films of the day in the courtroom where John Scopes was brought to trial. View the advertising art of the most popular commercial products available to consumers at the time of the trial.

July 16-17: Evolving Conflict: Scopes at 100
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-17-scopes-trial-symposium-in-the-historic-courtroom

Updated: Oct 12

A Symposium on the Scopes Trial

Wednesday, July 16, 2025; 9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m./10:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m./ 1:00p.m–2:00 p.m.

Thursday, July 17, 2025, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. / 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. / 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Scopes Trial Courtroom

BUY TICKETS

In 1925, the legal question debated during the Scopes Trial was whether John Scopes broke the law by teaching the Darwinian theory of human origins. But lawyers also debated questions which still are at the center of public discussion today: Parental rights in public education, can the majority impose its will on the minority, academic freedom (of teachers and students), the role of religion in public life. Hotly debated then, still capable of raising temperatures today, these questions were not settled in 1925 – and probably won’t be settled during this discussion.

In 1925, both sides had their say; in this symposium you will hear more than one viewpoint presented by experts in their disciplines, and you will have an opportunity to interact with the presenters.

The program begins promptly at 9 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, July 16 and 17, in the Scopes Trial courtroom of the historic Rhea County Courthouse.

Dr. Nick Spencer will lead off with a presentation on “Science, Religion and How We Got Here;” followed by Attorney Jerry Summers, speaking on “The Trial and Its People.” After a break for lunch, Dr. Edward Larson, recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in History for his book “Summer for the Gods,” will speak on the legacy of the trial in American life. Following Dr. Larson’s program, the afternoon will be open for tours of historic sites in and near Dayton.

On Thursday, Dr. Neal Doran will discuss ”Science at the Scopes Trial and Since;” and Dr. John Hawks will present his findings on “Human Origins: What Paleontology Tells Us.” After lunch, Dr. Joel Duff will speak on “Christians and Evolution after the Trial,” and Dr. Todd Wood and Mr. Paul Garner will discuss “A History of Creationism and the Future of the Creation/Evolution Debate.” Free time will be available for tours Thursday afternoon.

There will be breaks between sessions and for lunch both days. A study guide will be provided for your further reflection on the presentations.

Scopes Trial Symposium Dinner

Wednesday, July 17, 2025, 6:30 – 9:00 PM

Trinity Chapel

BUY TICKETS

Join us for a festive 1920s-themed dinner in historic Trinity Chapel on Wednesday, July 16. Trinity Chapel, today an event venue but Dayton’s Northern Methodist Church in 1925, has its own unique place in the Scopes Trial story. The congregation and the minister disagreed about hearing a sermon on evolution – and we’ll tell the rest of the story when you get here!

After a hearty meal, serenaded by music from the era, Dr. Randy Moore, author of the recently published John Thomas Scopes: A Biography, will speak on “John Scopes: The Rest of the Story.” After you hear his talk, you definitely will want to read the book.

Space is limited, so order your tickets soon.

July 18-19: Local History Expo
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-18-19-local-history-expo

Updated: Dec 13

Learn More About the Educational and Commercial History of Rhea County

Friday, July 18 - Saturday, July 19, 2025

Historic Courthouse and Lawn

FREE to the General Public

Booths and displays located on the grounds of the historic Rhea County courthouse will provide educational information regarding the history of Rhea County and surrounding southeastern Tennessee counties. Historical societies and site-specific historic groups will display historic items associated with their activities. Major employers will present their origin stories and highlight their historic contributions to the local economy.

If you are an organization in the East Tennessee area whose mission is history-related and you would like be a part of the Expo, please contact the Rhea County Historical Society at 916-710-1747.

July 18-19: Visit Historic Buttram Cemetery
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-18-19-buttram-cemetery-tour
Updated: Nov 4

Burial Site of Notable Scopes Trial Participants
July 11 & 12, 2025

Historic Rhea County Courthouse

Free transportation provided on demand.

The Buttram Cemetery, situated north of Dayton, Tennessee, and east of U.S. Highway 27, serves as the final resting place for numerous individuals having historical significance to Rhea County. Dating back to 1811, it is the burial location for no less than thirteen local citizens who played a notable role in trial of John Scopes.

To those wishing to visit the cemetery, transportation to and from Dayton’s historic courthouse will be provided upon demand at no charge. A representative of the Rhea County Historical Society will be available at the cemetery to answer questions. For those wishing to visit the cemetery on their own, a brochure will be available at the courthouse which allows for a self-guided tour.

July 18-19: Destiny in Dayton Drama
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-18-19-destiny-in-dayton-drama
Updated: Oct 12

Scopes Trial Dramatization

Fri., July 18, 2025, 7:00 PM / Sat., July 19, 2025, 2:00 PM (Dinner with Cast included)

Scopes Trial Courtroom, Rhea County Courthouse

BUY TICKETS

See a dramatization of the Scopes Trial in the courtroom where the trial was held in 1925. Destiny in Dayton adapts the trial transcript to an engrossing account of the trial, giving viewers an accurate picture of this duel of great men and great ideas. Following Saturday’s show, enjoy a 1920s-themed Dinner with the Cast of Destiny in Dayton under tents on the courthouse lawn, in the shade of trees – some of which were there for the trial!

July 19: Play and Dinner
https://www.scopes100.com/post/july-19-destiny-in-dayton-dinner

Updated: Dec 9

Dinner with the Cast and Crew

Saturday. July 19. 2025, Immediately following the play

Rhea County Courthouse lawn

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See a dramatization of the Scopes Trial in the courtroom where the trial was held in 1925. Destiny in Dayton adapts the trial transcript to an engrossing account of the trial, giving viewers an accurate picture of this duel of great men and great ideas. Following the show, enjoy a 1920s-themed Dinner with the Cast of Destiny in Dayton under tents on the courthouse lawn, in the shade of trees – some of which were there for the trial!