In July 1925, Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, and a supporting cast of fascinating characters converged upon Dayton, Tennessee for what became known as The Scopes Monkey Trial. Religion. Science. Education. Free speech. Textbooks. All were at issue for eight days of an epic battle that was broadcast on radio to the nation. The trial later was popularized in Inherit The Wind but the real trial was even more interesting. To mark the 100th anniversary of the trial, this course will do a deep dive into what actually happened. How did the trial wind up in Dayton, Tennessee? How did Bryan and Darrow get involved? What actually went on in the courtroom? How did the play, and then the movie, Inherit The Wind come to be, and do they accurately depict what occurred? Who won and lost the case? And, why should we care today including asking how issues of science and religion are treated in our courts today?

Doug Mishkin is a frequent OLLI teacher, speaker, and interviewer. He has taught “The Songs of Woody’s Children: Pete Seeger and Beyond” and “The Values of Aaron Sorkin: The West Wing and Beyond.” He has interviewed numerous notable authors, most recently Jeffrey Rosen on The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America, Lawrence Lessig on How To Steal A Presidential Election, and Stephen I. Vladeck on The Shadow Docket: How The Supreme Court Uses Stealth Rulings to Amass Power and Undermine the Republic.

Doug practiced law for many years in Washington, D.C. before moving to the Berkshires in 2018, where he is Of Counsel to Heisler, Feldman & Ordorica, P.C., a firm that represents low income tenants in Housing Court. He is a member of the Egremont Municipal Affordable Housing Trust. Doug is also a singer-songwriter, best known for his folk anthem “Woody’s Children.” www.dougmishkin.com. Doug is a graduate of Brown University and the George Washington University Law School, both of which he attended before they raised their standards.

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