The Scopes Monkey Trial: Then and Now (OOL)
Osher Online | Registration opens Tuesday, February 3, 2026 10:00 AM
In July 1925, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, and others converged on Dayton, Tennessee, for the Scopes Monkey Trial—an eight-day clash over religion, science, public education, free speech, and textbooks, broadcast nationwide. One hundred years later, these debates continue. This course explores why the trial happened in Dayton, how Bryan and Darrow became involved, what occurred in the courtroom, whether Inherit the Wind reflects reality, who won and lost, and why it still matters today.
TUESDAYS, MARCH 31 THROUGH MAY 5 - Each live session is 90 minutes
Tuesday, March 31
Tuesday, April 7
Tuesday, April 14
Tuesday, April 21
Tuesday, April 28
Tuesday, May 5
Douglas Mishkin
Doug Mishkin, an experienced trial lawyer, partnered with Americans United for Separation of Church and State to foster dialogue in Dayton, TN, site of the Scopes Monkey Trial. He has interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward J. Larson (Summer for the Gods), civil rights attorney Fred Gray, and George Washington Law Professor Jeffrey Rosen, president of the National Constitution Center, along with other distinguished lawyers and historians on law, history, and constitutional issues.