Tuesday, November 11: Law Library Movie Night!

All are invited to the Law Library and Riesenfeld Center's fall 2025 Movie Night, on Tuesday, November 11, from 3:30 to 6 p.m.!

Enjoy pizza, popcorn, candy and pop, and an evening of classic cinema, featuring Inherit the Wind (1960)! 

What: Inherit the Wind (1960), 

When: 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11

Where: Room 20 (subplaza) 

There will be a short quiz for two Law School sweatshirt prizes afterwards, and brief discussion of the movie's fidelity to the trial.

Inherit the Wind (1960) brought The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes (1925) to cinematic life, portraying the battle between Darwinian evolution and creationism in a form that captured the fireworks of the landmark courtroom showdown between Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan.   

Don’t miss this memorable film that (sometimes with inadvertent, campy humor) fictionalized the trial that shook a nation.

The screening is part of the Library and Riesenfeld Center's commemorations of the Scopes Trial and its yearlong exhibit currently open in the Riesenfeld Center.

Wednesday, October 29: Halloween Open House!

All are invited to the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center's special Halloween Open House on Wednesday, October 29, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.! 

Come out to see spooky treasures from our collection, including books on witchcraft trials, macabre murders, the fate of 'bloody' hanging judges, and manuals of judicial torture - and pick up free snacks, drinks, and Halloween candy!

Come out in costume and get a picture on our Tumblr page!

When: Wednesday, Oct. 29th, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Center*
What: Rare books, snacks, drinks, candy and costumes!

*The Center is in N30 on the Subplaza, on the hallway past Legal Grounds Cafe and N20.) 

New Riesenfeld Center Acquisitions: Clarence Darrow

The Riesenfeld Center recently acquired several items to add to its preeminent collection of letters, publications and trial material from the career of legendary defense attorney, Clarence Darrow (1857-1938). A new letter from Darrow concerns a dinner party held in 1931 to honor Lincoln Steffens, the noted American journalist, with an image of the seated attendees in New York. An enclosed list of attendees shows that Darrow was still associated with many of the journalists late in his career that he had known much earlier, including his old friend Steffens. Darrow's friendships and associations with journalists like Steffens and H. L. Mencken helped considerably to promote his trials and the social issues on which he frequently spoke and debated, often to large crowds across the country. Present at the tribute dinner was also Edward Bernays, a pioneer of American public relations and political psychology who contributed significantly to the war efforts in WWI and WWII. 

Another is a copy of "Big" Bill Haywood's autobiography (1929), with original illustrated dust jacket and formerly owned by women's rights activist Clarina Michelson. The feared Haywood was one of Darrow's important clients, a founding member of the International Workers of the World (IWW, or "Wobblies") and a controversial American labor leader. Darrow successfully defended Haywood against a murder charge in 1907, cementing his reputation as perhaps the nation's foremost defense attorney. The Library and Riesenfeld Center's Darrow Collection also features a partial transcript from the famous murder case, the separately-printed closing arguments of the prosecution and defense, and letters related to the case. As a renowned labor lawyer during the first half of his career, Darrow defended Eugene Debs and prevailed in several high-profile cases that are part of the Library's extensive Darrow Digital Collection. 

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

New Library Digital Exhibit: The Scopes Trial at 100

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Center are pleased to announce the release of a new digital exhibit:

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100” 

The digital exhibit commemorates the centennial anniversary of one of America’s most storied courtroom dramas, The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. The 1925 trial of John Scopes, accused of violating a Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution, became a national sensation and the focal point of a public debate over the roles of science and religion in public education. The digital exhibit highlights the Law Library’s preeminent collection of famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow’s letters, publications, photographs, and trial materials. The digital exhibit also preserves and builds upon a physical exhibit that is open in the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center throughout 2025. The new digital site adds to and expands the series of digital research sites and exhibits that are available as part of the Library's digital special collections. 

The new digital exhibit features more than forty items drawn from the Riesenfeld Center's rare books collection, including letters, original trial documents, witness statements, inscribed books, speeches, and debates. In addition, there are daily trial summaries and transcripts, and timelines that contextualize the Scopes trial within a larger debate on the history of evolutionary thought and the roles of science and religion in American public education.  

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100” was created by Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections Ryan Greenwood, Archives & Digital Collections Associate Sophia Daley, Digital Technology Specialist Joy Brown, and Associate Director for Access Services & Digital Initiatives Michael Hannon.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

Wednesday, October 1: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's first rare books open house of the year, next Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and tour historical treasures from the library's rare books and special collections.  The material in the Riesenfeld Center includes more than 25,000 volumes of rare and special texts printed from the fifteenth through twenty-first centuries, the Law School archives, and unique modern manuscript collections.

When: Wednesday, October 1, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*

What: Rare books, bagged snacks and treats, candy, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Legal Grounds Cafe and Student Orgs. in N20.)

Wednesday, September 24: Exhibit Open House!

All are invited to our fall exhibit open house, next Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.!

"Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100"

When: Wednesday, September 24, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center (N30, Subplaza level, past Legal Grounds and Student Orgs. in N20).

Snacks, fruit, and refreshments will be served!

One of our most storied courtroom dramas, the 1925 Scopes Trial became a national sensation and the focal point of a public debate over the places of evolution and religion in public education. At trial and on appeal, the defense team aimed to test the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that prohibited teaching that humans were the product of Darwinian evolution. 

The trial did not resolve contemporary tensions between science and fundamentalist religion, but rather thrust them further into the national consciousness. Over the past century, the Scopes Trial has continued to influence public discourse about the teaching of evolution and the role of religion in public schools. For its impacts in the courtroom and classroom, the Scopes Trial remains an fascinating chapter in American legal and cultural history.

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100,” commemorates the centennial of the case, inviting viewers to revisit the trial’s cultural context, as well as its prominent figures, issues, and legacy. The exhibit highlights the role played at trial by famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow, and the University of Minnesota Law Library’s Clarence Darrow Collection, more than 1,000 letters written by and to the great trial attorney, together with speeches, debates and other material by and about Darrow. Drawn from this collection, the exhibit spotlights letters, books, pamphlets, cultural artifacts, and a series of original court documents from the case. 

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100” was curated by Ryan Greenwood, Sophia Daley, Joy Brown, and Michael Hannon.

Wednesday, September 17: Celebrate Constitution Day!

Come out and celebrate Constitution Day in the Law Library lobby! 

Stop by and grab donuts and coffee on Wednesday, September 17, and pick up a crossword puzzle about the US Constitution for prizes. Collect a pocket copy of the Constitution also!

Don't forget to take a selfie with James Madison!   

When: Wednesday, September 17, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Law Library Lobby
What: Donuts, Coffee, Tea and Prizes! 

Celebrating the Minnesota-Uppsala Exchange Program

More than forty years ago, in 1982, the University of Minnesota Law School and Uppsala University's Faculty of Law began an international exchange program that continues to this day. The program represents a rich tradition of faculty and student exchange, travel and friendship that continues to connect hundreds of present and former participants across the globe.

The Minnesota-Uppsala exchange program is one of the oldest of its kind in the world. It was first proposed as the result of a visit to Minnesota by John Eric Wickstrom, Sweden’s former Minister of Education, in late 1980. Minnesota Law School Dean Robert Stein and Uppsala Faculty of Law Dean Anders Agell discussed the proposed exchange program in 1981. Their plan was finalized in 1982 and included the exchange of faculty, students and library resources between the two schools. Uppsala Professor Stig Strömholm, a towering figure in Swedish academia, served as the first faculty member to participate in the exchange, in the fall semester of 1982. This marked a grand beginning for the program, which has sent countless students and faculty between the two schools since that time.      

This week Minneapolis and Uppsala, Sweden, will proudly celebrate the 25th anniversary of their “sister city” relationship, a fruitful partnership that brings a delegation of distinguished visitors from Uppsala to Minneapolis for a series of events.

As part of the visit and celebrations, the University of Minnesota Law School and the Uppala University Faculty of Law will honor the long history of the exchange program between the two schools with the launch, on September 15, 2025, of a new commemorative volume of De lege, the Uppsala Law Faculty’s annual scholarly publication. The new volume features a terrific collection of reflections by faculty and students who participated in the exchange program since its inception in 1982.  

As a companion to the September 15 launch and celebration of the Minnesota-Uppsala exchange program, the Riesenfeld Center has contributed a display, which can be seen in the Law School foyer, drawn from the De lege volume and showcasing images of exchange program events and participants through the years.  

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

Jewels of the Collection Available Online

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Center have made available online its award-winning print publication, Jewels of the Collection (University of Minnesota Law Library, 2023), which presents an extensive selection of treasures and an overview of the history and collection strengths of the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center. 

The publication won the 2024 Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award from the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). The Andrews Award recognizes significant textual contributions to legal bibliographical literature and is one of the most prestigious awards presented by AALL. The award criteria evaluate works for originality and creativity, and honor publications in legal bibliography, legal research, and those that advance the field of law librarianship.

Jewels of the Collection is a catalog of one hundred selected items from the Riesenfeld Rare Books Center's collections. Its aim is to introduce rare and unique legal materials that explore a global legal heritage. The catalog's selections are accompanied by detailed descriptions that explain their significance and place them in historical context. Included in the publication are many books, pamphlets, letters, and other documents that represent important contributions to law and history, or are landmark 'firsts' of legal literature. Other items are notable for associations with famous authors and owners, such as Clarence Darrow, whose preeminent collection of letters is held at the Riesenfeld Center. Still others have been selected because they stand as unique artifacts and works of art. The volume trains a spotlight on works that provide important insights into the historical development, and progress, of diverse traditions of law.

Jewels of the Collection was co-authored by Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections, and Patrick Graybill, the former Library Digital Initiatives Technologist, with editorial support from law librarians Michael Hannon, Connie Lenz, and Sarah Yates. Publications authored or edited by University of Minnesota Law librarians have now won the Joseph L. Andrews Award five times, a remarkable achievement.

Grotius's JBP: 400th Anniversary and New Bibliography

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of Hugo Grotius's De jure belli ac pacis (On the Law of War and Peace) (1625), often considered the most important early modern treatise on international law, which had a profound impact on European (and American) thought. A child prodigy, humanist, lawyer, and statesman from the Dutch Republic, Grotius (1583-1645) shaped the tradition of the 'law of nations' (jus gentium) into a series of secularized doctrines based prominently on natural rights to property. His work provided standards for prosecuting and resolving (often armed) disputes between European nations during their age of expansion, and helped to justify the forms of that expansion, as monarchies and republics conquered and came to control North and South America and significant parts of Southeast Asia. Grotius is also recognized for percolating updated natural law and rights theories throughout northern Europe, and for his influence on the classical liberal political theories of Hobbes, Locke, and many others in the 17th and 18th centuries. With its complex legacy, Grotius's main work is still relevant and consequential today.

In addition to conferences and other events, this anniversary year of the publication will see a new bibliographical census, to be released this summer, recording and describing nearly 1,000 copies of the first nine editions of De jure belli ac pacis (JBP). The census project was begun several years ago by a research team at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public and International Law with funding of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. 

The new work records early printed copies of JBP from across the world. In order to complete the major undertaking, the research team crowdsourced information from a wide array of libraries and collections, soliciting information regarding relevant copies of De jure belli ac pacis in their collections. The Riesenfeld Center was also contacted and we submitted information and images for a copy of the 1642 Blaeu edition held in the collections, which contains the names of several early owners. In addition to other later editions, the Center also holds a 1651 copy of JBP formerly owned by the great scholar Hermann Kantorowicz, whose library is largely held at the Law Library.  

The census project not only located many more copies of JBP than were previously known, but identified annotations in about half the books surveyed and identified 510 former owners of the copies, most of whom were active in the 17th century. The new book promises to shed much light on the ownership histories and individual copies of a monumental work of European legal and political thought.  

    - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections

Riesenfeld Center Awarded for Digital Site

The Law Library’s Riesenfeld Center has recently been honored by an award from the American Association of Law Libraries, in recognition of its spring 2024 digital research collection “Classic Cases: Historical Foundations of First-Year Law School Cases.” The Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section (ALL-SIS) awarded the digital collection the 2025 Digital Publication Award for its significant contribution to legal literature that is born and remains digital. 

The digital site was supervised by Michael Hannon ’98, associate director for access services & digital initiatives, and Ryan Greenwood, curator of rare book and special collections, with the invaluable assistance of law students Rachel Canoun ’24, Mason Medeiros ’22, Loren Olson ’26, Alec Shaw ’19, and Law Library colleagues Joy Brown, Digital Technologist, and Sophia Daley, Archives and Digital Collections Associate.

2025 Morris L. Cohen Student Essay Competition

The Legal History and Rare Books Section (LHRB) of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), in cooperation with The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., announces the annual Morris L. Cohen Student Essay Competition. The competition is named in honor of Morris L. Cohen, late Professor Emeritus of Law at Yale Law School. Professor Cohen’s scholarly work was in the fields of legal research, rare books, and historical bibliography.

The purpose of the competition is to encourage scholarship in the areas of legal history, rare law books, and legal archives, and to acquaint students with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and law librarianship. Essays may be on any topic related to legal history, rare law books, or legal archives. The competition is open to students currently enrolled in accredited graduate programs in library science, law, history, and related fields. Both full- and part-time students are eligible. Membership in AALL is not required.

The winner will receive a $1000 prize from The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd., and will present the essay at an LH&RB-sponsored webinar. The winner and runner-up will have the opportunity to publish their essays in LH&RB’s online scholarly journal Unbound: A Review of Legal History and Rare Books.

For more information about the competition, including the application materials, please see the competition website. The deadline for the essay entries is June 20, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. 

Wednesday, April 16: Celebrate Clarence Darrow's Birthday!

Come out and celebrate Clarence Darrow's birthday with the Law Library, this Wednesday, April 16!  

Pick up cake and donuts in honor of Clarence Darrow (1857-1938), America's legendary defense attorney. Don't forget to take a quiz about Darrow's life and career for prizes, and take a selfie with the legal giant. 

When: Wednesday, April 16, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Where: Law Library lobby

What: Birthday cake, donuts, coffee, tea, and prizes!

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Center holds the preeminent collection of letters to and from Darrow, as well as works by and about the great attorney. For more information about Darrow, including some of his most famous cases, please see the Library's award-winning Darrow Digital Collection.

Wednesday, April 2: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's monthly rare books open house, this Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections, including items for Women's History Month and St. Patrick's Day. 

When: Wednesday, April 2, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*

What: Rare books, bagged snacks and treats, candy, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Legal Grounds Cafe and Student Orgs. in N20.)

Wednesday, March 19: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's monthly rare books open house, next Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections, including items for Women's History Month and St. Patrick's Day. 

When: Wednesday, March 19, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*

What: Rare books, bagged snacks and treats, candy, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Legal Grounds Cafe and Student Orgs. in N20.)

New Library Exhibit: The Centennial of the Scopes Trial

The Law Library and Riesenfeld Center are pleased to announce a new exhibit commemorating the centennial of the Scopes Trial, drawn from the Center's preeminent Clarence Darrow Collection:

"Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100"

One of our most storied courtroom dramas, the 1925 Scopes Trial became a national sensation and the focal point of a debate over the places of evolution and religion in public education. At trial and on appeal, the defense team aimed to test the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that prohibited teaching that humans were the product of Darwinian evolution or similar theories of human descent.  

Popularly known as the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes is celebrated not only for the legal and cultural issues it addressed, but the lawyers who were involved. For the prosecution stood William Jennings Bryan, a three-time presidential candidate, fervent anti-evolutionist, and one of the great orators in American history. For the defense was Clarence Darrow, the most famous trial lawyer in the country and a staunch defender of individual rights. The constitutional issues raised by the case were profound, dealing directly with the freedom of religion, free speech, and due process. The trial itself culminated in a famous confrontation between Darrow and Bryan on the witness stand.

The trial did not resolve contemporary tensions between science and fundamentalist religion, but rather thrust them further into the national consciousness. Over the past century, the Scopes Trial has continued to influence public discourse about the teaching of evolution and the role of religion in public schools. For its impacts in the courtroom and classroom, the Scopes Trial remains an fascinating chapter in American legal and cultural history.

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100,” commemorates the centennial of the Scopes Trial, inviting viewers to revisit the trial’s cultural context, as well as its prominent figures, issues, and legacy. The exhibit showcases the University of Minnesota Law Library’s preeminent Clarence Darrow Collection, more than 1,000 letters written by and to the great trial attorney, together with speeches, debates and other material by and about Darrow. Drawn from this collection, the exhibit features letters, books, pamphlets, cultural artifacts, and a trove of court documents from the case. For more, see recent blog posts (here, and here). 

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100” was created by curator of rare books and special collections, Ryan Greenwood, archives and digital collections associate, Sophia Charbonneau, digital technology specialist, Joy Brown, and associate director Michael Hannon.

New Exhibit Open House: Wednesday, Feb. 12

All are invited to an open house for our new Law Library exhibit:

"Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100"

When: Wednesday, February 12, from 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center (N30, Subplaza level, past Legal Grounds and Student Orgs. in N20).

Snacks, fruit, and refreshments will be served!

One of our most storied courtroom dramas, the 1925 Scopes Trial became a national sensation and the focal point of a public debate over the places of evolution and religion in public education. At trial and on appeal, the defense team aimed to test the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that prohibited teaching that humans were the product of Darwinian evolution, or similar theories of human descent. 

Raising profound questions concerning the freedom of religion, free speech, and due process, the trial did not overturn the anti-evolution law, but thrust contemporary tensions between science and fundamentalism further into the national consciousness. Over the past century, the Scopes Trial has continued to influence public discourse about the teaching of evolution and the role of religion in public schools. For its impacts in the courtroom and classroom, the Scopes Trial remains an important chapter in American history.

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100,” commemorates the centennial of the case, inviting viewers to revisit the trial’s cultural context, as well as its prominent figures, issues, and legacy. The exhibit also highlights the role played at trial by famed defense attorney Clarence Darrow, and the University of Minnesota Law Library’s preeminent Clarence Darrow Collection, more than 1,000 letters written by and to the great trial attorney, together with speeches, debates and other material by and about Darrow. Drawn from this collection, the exhibit features letters, books, pamphlets, cultural artifacts, and a trove of court documents from the case. 

“Evolution on the Stand: Revisiting the Scopes Trial at 100” was curated by Ryan Greenwood, Sophia Charbonneau, Joy Brown, and Michael Hannon.

Wednesday, February 5: Rare Books Open House!

Come out to the Riesenfeld Center's first rare books open house of the semester, this Wednesday, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.!

Enjoy snacks and drinks, and see treasures from the library's rare books and special collections. 

When: Wednesday, February 5, 12 p.m - 3 p.m.
Where: Riesenfeld Rare Books Research Center*
What: Rare books, bagged snacks and treats, Valentine's candy, and refreshments!

(*The Riesenfeld Center is in N30, on the subplaza past Legal Grounds Cafe and Student Orgs. in N20.)

 

Upcoming Exhibit: The Scopes Trial in Literature and Film

The Riesenfeld Center is preparing for an upcoming spring exhibit celebrating the centennial anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey" Trial (1925). In telling the story of the historic trial, the exhibit will highlight some of the material from the rich Clarence Darrow Collection at the Center, including briefs from the appeal case, letters, debates, books, and other items related to the trial. 

Another area of the Darrow Collection that will be featured contains items relating to Inherit the Wind, a notable play that was loosely based on the Scopes Trial, which debuted in 1955. Inherit the Wind was the first of several plays written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee that addressed contemporary issues. In the early 1950s, they were inspired by the ongoing Communist paranoia and Hollywood blacklists, and they saw parallels to the theme of free speech in the Scopes Trial. While Inherit the Wind follows the story of the trial, many aspects of the true story are fictionalized. The names of the key players change (Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan become Henry Drummond and Matthew Harrison Brady) and many of the exchanges are dramatized. Most notably, William Jennings Bryan, who argued for the prosecution, faces particular criticism, as Lawrence and Lee intentionally chose to target creationism, which Bryan adamantly defends. While in reality, Bryan died shortly after the trial due to health issues, in the play, Bryan dramatically dies after collapsing during his final speech.

Although the play received some criticism due to its dramatization of the Scopes trial, it became the longest running drama then on Broadway and was adapted into several movie versions. When the first film premiered in Dayton in 1960, John Scopes attended the premiere and promoted the film, noting that, “of course, it altered the facts of the real trial,” but “the film captured the emotions in the battle of words between Bryan and Darrow.”

On display in the exhibit will be several collection items connected to the play, including a first edition of Inherit the Wind inscribed by the authors to one of Darrow’s granddaughters. Other items trace the play’s popularity and connect to the movie versions that were made in 1960 and 1988. One interesting document from 1960 outlines the United Artists Corporation’s advertising campaign that aimed to reach a younger audience by hiring teenagers in large cities “to play up the movie for their local newspapers, radio and television stations, as well as for school publications and organizations.” The exhibit will also highlight several lobby cards, which would have promoted the movie ahead of its release in theatre lobbies, depicting scenes from the film. 

Inherit the Wind’s story also found relevance across the globe, and several items related to translated versions of the movie will also be on display. A lobby card in Spanish follows the same format as lobby cards from the original movie release, and a small Danish pamphlet provides photos from the movie in addition to information about the plot and cast. Another is a Czech movie poster, which features a stylized and impressionistic design. The Czech translation of the title, “Who Sows the Wind,” referencing Hosea 8:7 (“For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.”), is boldly displayed and differs slightly from the English title. The original play's title, Inherit the Wind, is also drawn from a Bible verse, Proverbs 11:29 (“He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind”). The artistic titles, based on Biblical quotes, help to amplify the courtroom drama in the play and suggest Lawrence and Lee's viewpoint.

   - Sophia Charbonneau, Special Collections Assistant

Upcoming Exhibit: The Scopes Trial Centennial

This year, the Law Library and Riesenfeld Center will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, which remains one of the most storied courtroom dramas in American history. Dubbed at the time "the trial of the century," the case drew intense national attention and its legacy still has impact today. The trial pitted a Tennessee law that prohibited the public school teaching of Darwinian evolution against the First Amendment. The legal battle involved several of the most famous lawyers and political figures of the day, including Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, prominent heavyweights who provided counsel to the defense and prosecution, respectively. At the center of the trial was the young high school teacher, John T. Scopes, who was willing to be indicted for violating the law in order to test the constitutional issues that it raised.

The eight days of trial, in the sweltering July heat of Dayton, Tennessee, resulted in victory for the prosecution. Although Scopes was convicted of a misdemeanor in Rhea County court (later overturned on a technicality in the state's Supreme Court), the storm created by the trial brought the influence of literalist interpretations of the Bible into sharp focus, while stimulating scientists and others to argue vocally on behalf of evolution. For the attorneys on the prosecution and defense, the trial also provided a spotlight for their extraordinary tactical skills and courtroom oratory. 

Among the lawyers who shaped the trial, Clarence Darrow occupies a special place at the University of Minnesota Law Library and Riesenfeld Center, which holds more than 1,000 letters to and from the legendary defense attorney, as well as case materials, speeches, writings and other material about Darrow's life and career. The Darrow Collection at the Riesenfeld Center, and the Darrow Digital Collection showcasing these holdings, provides a rich trove of letters, books, and printed debates related to the Scopes Trial, together with briefs from Scopes's appeal case, expert witness statements, and many other treasures from the Center's collections.  

 

Beyond documents and publications related to the case, the exhibit will also feature items produced by the national media frenzy that surrounded it. Humorous cartoons flooded newspapers and often mocked the anti-evolutionist cause, though also skewered the reductionism of evolution. In the cartoon by H. T. Webster (1885-1952), from Life Magazine, Bryan is lampooned for his denials of Darwinism. In another cartoon, Webster satirized a “fan” letter castigating his portrayals of evolution. His cartoons portraying the anxieties of modern life were popular in the early to mid-20th century, and he was known for several syndicated comics that appeared across the country. 

Popular music was another beneficiary of the Scopes Trial. The 1920s shellac record, pictured here, features “The John T. Scopes Trial” by Vernon Dalhart (1883-1953) with the refrain, “the old religion’s better after all.” Dalhart was one of country music’s first major recording artists, who recorded on Thomas Edison’s label. His music, featuring vivid storytelling, marked the beginning of country music's commercial rise in the 1920s, drawing on folk and bluegrass traditions. In similar fashion, Billy Rose and Clarence Gaskill’s “You Can’t Make a Monkey Out of Me” (1925), made light of Darwinism with lines like: “there's no chimpanzee in my pedigree, and you can't make a monkey of me.” The songs took to the airwaves and enjoyed public appeal.

Viewers will be invited to explore the background and context that produced the trial, the important legal issues that it raised, and the arguments, strategies, and responses that played out in the courtroom. In addition, the exhibit will treat some of the interesting cultural and legal legacy of the trial, discovered in everything from theatrical and cinematic adaptations, to cases that continue to raise questions concerning the role of religion in public education.

   - Ryan Greenwood, Curator of Rare Books and Special Collections