Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson to speak at KU for Scopes Trial centennial


LAWRENCE — The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas will welcome Edward Larson, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and legal scholar, for a special lecture commemorating the centennial of the 1925 Scopes Trial. 

The event will take place at 7 p.m. April 29 in the Kansas Union, The Jay, and is free and open to the public.

Edward Larson
Edward Larson

Larson, author of "Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America’s Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion," will explore the cultural and legal legacy of one of the most iconic court cases in American history. Often framed as a clash between science and religion, the Scopes Trial — where high school teacher John Scopes was tried for teaching evolution — continues to resonate in today’s educational and political discourse.

Larson’s talk will not only revisit the historic trial but also examine its lasting impact on public perceptions of science, religion and academic freedom in the United States. Attendees will gain insight into the personalities behind the trial, including Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, and the broader cultural moment that made the case a defining chapter in American history.

This event is part of the Department of Religious Studies’ ongoing commitment to fostering conversations that bridge history, law, religion and public life. A reception will follow the lecture, and all are welcome to attend.

Thu, 04/24/2025

author

Alberto Reyes

Media Contacts

Albert Reyes

Department of Religious Studies