Skip to Main Content

The State of Tennessee v. John T. Scopes (The Scopes Trial) : Campus and Community

This guide highlights the research materials available in Special Collections related to The Scopes Trial of 1925.

The Scopes Trial and the University of Tennessee

 

Image of the University of Tennessee campus in 1925, taken from the Volunteer Yearbook. From the Volunteer Yearbooks digital collection. 

 

By 1925, the University of Tennessee had established itself as an institution dedicated to research and knowledge production in the Southeast. As the university gained notoriety in the region, it attracted students and professors from various backgrounds with different personal and professional interests. However, the Scopes Trial challenged the ethos of the university. At this point, UTK regarded spirituality as a crucial part of a student's academics, and it specifically promoted its Christian student organizations to help students become better citizens. Professors who taught evolution could be challenged, and the Scopes Trial increased debates by students and faculty alike around darwinism and creationism. The Presidents Papers contain correspondence that highlight these debates and show the varied viewpoints on the Scopes Trial and its effects on university operations. 

 

         

A passage from The Volunteer, 1924 features a take on Darwinism to describe the students'

year. From the Volunteer Yearbooks Digital Collection.

 

 

 

Statement on religious influences issued in the The University of Tennessee record, vol. 28 no. 4, 1925. The rest of the statement can be found here, University of Tennessee Record. 

The Media

From religious groups to musicians, everyone had an opinion on the Scopes Trial and its implications in the state of Tennessee. Responses ranged from amusement to panic, and it seemed that the entire state was paying attention to the Trial, regardless whether or not they lived in Dayton. The Scopes Trial was photographed heavily, and photojournalists made sure to capture the experiences of those who were not in the courtroom, as well. The Of Monkeys and Men: Public and Private Views from the Scopes Trial digital collection contains many images of the crowds that were drawn to Dayton to observe the spectacle and witness history in the making. 

Community Responses

Evangelists conducting a revival

Evangelists conducting an impromptu revival during the Scopes Trial.

From the Scopes Photography Collection digital collection, 1925 

Political cartoon showing an organ grinder as Dayton, Tennessee, the organ as the Scopes Trial and the monkey collecting all of the publicity and money.

Scopes Cartoon

Political cartoon showing an organ grinder as Dayton, Tennessee, the organ as the Scopes Trial and the monkey collecting all of the publicity and money.

From the Volunteer Voices digital collection, 1925 

Sheet music of an anti-evolution song published at the time of the John T. Scopes monkey trial

Evolutin Riddle Sheet Music

Sheet music of an anti-evolution song published at the time of the John T. Scopes monkey trial

From the Volunteer Voices digital collection, 1925 

Teenage girls standing and holding small monkey dolls

Teenage Girls with Monkey Dolls

Young girls standing and holding small monkey dolls during the Scopes Trial.

From the Of Monkeys and Men: Private and Public Views of the Scopes Trials digital collection, 1925

Archival Resources on Local Perspectives