The 100th Anniversary of the “World’s Greatest Trial” has now ended in the fast growing community of Dayton- Rhea County north of equally fast growing communities in Chattanooga-Hamilton County, Tennessee.
A great deal of fact and fiction has been historically recorded about the July 10-21, 1925 extravagance that earned the little town the eternal title of “Monkeytown USA”.
Numerous symposiums have been held at Bryan College and the historic Rhea County Courthouse since March 2025.
The adaptation of the 1960 movie, “Inherit the Wind,” has also provided an additional fictionalized account of the film as presented by local actors that has concluded, after several live performances.
On July 16th, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Summer of the Gods” (Edward J. Larson) and an equally recognized English authority on Evolution (Nicholas Spencer) addressed an eager audience on their subjects.
A third speaker spoke on several famous (and not so famous) individuals and events that involved a Dayton-Chattanooga connection but forgot to present the actions of one of the most interesting lawyers in the multitude of many attorneys having any contact with the legendary case ---- Frank Spurlock.
In the legal community, there has often been a division of lawyers into different categories. For example barristers who represent major corporations, banks, insurance companies, etc have sometimes been jokingly referred to as “silk stocking lawyers”, whereas those that represent criminal defendants (poor ones), car wrecks, small bankruptcies, and divorces, etc. have been identified with the title of “cotton sock attorneys” (you figure out the distinction?)
Frank Spurlock transcended into both categories in the “Monkey Trial” case in Dayton in 1925.
A successful attorney, he was one of the original incorporators of the Chattanooga Bar Association in 1897.
His list of prominent clients prior to his death in May 1945, included the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railroad (NC and St. L), Chattanooga Times newspaper, the local water company utility, United States Pipe and Foundry, and Western Union Telegraph Company.
Early on he formed a law practice with a young Vanderbilt football All American, Bill Spears who would later head the present Chattanooga law firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman and Williams. (Check out his name on the McCallie School Stadium!)
Tennessee was selected as the battleground for the eternal question of “evolution versus science” with the Tennessee Legislature enacting the Anti-Evolution Act (Butler) in March, 1925 with Rhea County first year football coach and substitute science teacher John Scopes, being the chosen individual to contest the constitutionality of said bill as the test case misdemeanor defendant.
Frank Spurlock attended the Scopes Trial. When famous criminal defense counsel, Clarence Darrow on a Friday made a remark that the presiding Judge John T. Raulston thought was an improper comment towards the court, found the lawyer in contempt, and set a 5,000 bond for his appearance in court on Monday for punishment, Spurlock offered to secure the bond on the attorney’s behalf.
Over the weekend Darrow was persuaded to apologize to the court and after he humbled himself the matter was resolved with the judge dismissing the citation with a long recitation on “forgiveness” based on Christian principles with posed photographs of his Honor and Darrow shaking hands with William Jennings Bryan.
Another source suggested that Spurlock may have offered to guarantee the $500 appeal bond set by the court after the trial jury deliberated for nine minutes before finding Scopes guilty of violating the Anti-Evolution Act.
Ironically the sponsor of the bill in the Tennessee General Assembly, John Butler, attended the trial and was often interviewed by the news media and also posed for photos.
In a final tribute to Frank Spurlock’s legal ability and ethics it was publicly suggested that he be chosen to assist the preparation of one of the appellate briefs and participate in the two full days of Oral Argument in the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1926 on behalf of the defendant.
(Frank Spurlock’s choice of “silk or cotton socks” was never disclosed but his actions in the historic trial could have been in either category! His conduct demonstrated what many considered to be in the highest tradition of the Bar!)
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