The Barber’s Chair to the Pulpit: Rev. Virgil Wilkey’s Tennessee Story

Rev. Virgil Houston Wilkey of Dayton, Tennessee, lived a long life of service, community, and quiet historical significance. Born in 1894 in Tennessee, he would grow up to wear many hats—barber, community booster, family man, and ultimately, a Methodist minister deeply respected in his hometown and throughout Rhea County. His story weaves through Dayton’s most famous chapter, the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial, and into the life of a devoted pastor who spent three decades guiding his congregation in nearby Graysville.

In his younger years, Wilkey operated the Wilkey Barber Shop in downtown Dayton, just west of Rogers Pharmacy. During the early 1920s, that block of Main Street was the heart of local life—a gathering place where men traded stories, shared the news, and debated the issues of the day. As fate would have it, this modest barber shop would become part of American history during the summer of 1925. Dayton’s Progressive Club, led by Bill Morgan, had come up with a plan to bring national attention to their quiet community through the Scopes “Monkey” Trial. Wilkey was right in the middle of it. On May 19, 1925, he and fellow barber Thurlow Reed joined trial organizer George Rappleyea in staging a mock protest fight on the courthouse lawn to stir up excitement. The ruse worked perfectly. Within weeks, reporters, lawyers, and curious travelers flooded Dayton to witness the famous clash between science and religion. Wilkey’s barber shop became a gathering place for locals and out-of-towners alike, a backdrop for the everyday conversations that swirled around the spectacle. Though he never stood in the courtroom, his small-town barber chair stood close enough to history to feel its tremor.

As the years passed, Virgil Wilkey’s life settled into a different rhythm—one shaped by faith and service. He married Bertha Alvina Jordan on June 1, 1913, in Rhea County, and together they built a family and a life centered on the church. His path eventually led him from the barbershop to the pulpit. He became known as Reverend Virgil H. Wilkey, a respected United Methodist minister whose kindness and steadfastness left a lasting mark on his community. Over the years, he served as pastor at several churches, including Graysville United Methodist, Sale Creek, and Providence, Tennessee. His commitment to ministry was matched by his devotion to education and self-improvement—he was a member of the first class at Bryan College in Dayton, later continuing his theological studies at Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville.

Rev. Wilkey’s influence in Dayton reached beyond the church pews. He was active in the Masonic community, serving as past master of Dayton Lodge 512 F&AM and as a chapter member and past patron of Dayton Chapter 360 of the Order of the Eastern Star. Even the city’s charter once used the “southeast corner of the Virgil Wilkey lot” as a landmark boundary, a quiet testament to how rooted his name had become in the town’s landscape.

By the mid-1970s, he had become something of a living institution in Rhea County. On Sunday, July 25, 1976, the congregation of Graysville United Methodist Church gathered for their annual homecoming service, which doubled as a celebration of Rev. Wilkey’s 82nd birthday. Having served that congregation for thirty years, he was honored with a birthday cake and an album of photographs commemorating his decades of service. The Rev. Ralph Cline, a former pastor of the church, returned as guest speaker, and the gospel group The Sounds of Salvation performed for the occasion. It was a day filled with fellowship and gratitude; the kind of heartfelt tribute small-town churches are known for—simple, genuine, and full of love for their pastor.

In his later years, Rev. Wilkey continued to be an active figure in Dayton’s religious and civic life. He lived to see generations of his family grow, and his influence spread through both his ministry and his children. When he passed away on Sunday, October 2, 1988, at the Rhea County Medical Center, he was 94 years old. At the time of his death, he had been preceded in passing by his son, Harold Wilkey. He survived by his wife, Berta J. Wilkey, and six daughters: Hazel Wilkey, Marie Conner, Pauline Geer, Earlene Minton, Jane Phillips, and Mona James. He also left behind five brothers—Jess, Arthur, Earl, Perry, and Ray Wilkey—and three sisters—Clemmie Rhon, Bess Porter, and Mae Bostorf. His extended family included multiple grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even great-great-grandchildren.

Rev. Wilkey’s funeral reflected the breadth of a life that had touched so many corners of the community. He was laid to rest in Buttram Cemetery in Dayton beside his wife Bertha, who would pass away in 1995. His life told a story that bridged generations and eras—from the days of horse-drawn buggies and the national spotlight of the Scopes Trial to the modern years of Methodist ministry and community service.

Today, when one reflects on the story of Rev. Virgil H. Wilkey, it is clear that he embodied the steady, enduring spirit of small-town Tennessee. He was there when Dayton’s name reached the world, but he spent the greater part of his life serving the people who lived within its borders. Whether cutting hair, preaching sermons, or comforting a neighbor in need, he built his legacy one person at a time. His life reminds us that history isn’t only written by those who make headlines, but also by those who quietly hold their communities together through faith, kindness, and lifelong dedication.

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