Miss Dayton Nancy Shipley Welcomes John Thomas Scopes To Town On 35th Anniversary Of Famous Trial.
Nancy Shipley had not yet been born when John Thomas Scopes was convicted in 1925 of violating Tennessee’s newly passed Butler Act. A trial in which the world has come to know as “The Monkey Trial”. In 1960, the town of Dayton turned back the clock 35 years as it honored the man convicted of teaching Darwin’s theory of evolution. Elaborate plans were made in observance of the anniversary of the famous trial, in which Mr. Scopes was a key figure.The city was all decked out with flags and a carnival like atmosphere as Miss Dayton welcomed Scopes back to town. Automobiles of the 1925 vintage lined the streets of Dayton and store front windows were dressed with styles of that decade. Scopes, who was age 60 at the time of the Anniversary, was a Geologist in Shreveport, Louisiana. He passed away in 1970 and was buried in his hometown of Paducah, Kentucky. Nancy Shipley now resides in her hometown of Dayton.
Visit John Scopes Grave site here on Find A Grave
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