Scopes Trial Centennial Conference
July 18 – 20, 2025 (Friday – Sunday)
The Chattanoogan Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton
1201 Broad Street
Chattanooga, TN 37402
This tentative schedule is subject to minor changes.
Friday, July 18th:
4:00 pm
Registration opens
Dinner on your own
6:00
Cash bar for wine, beer, or soft drinks opens with light refreshments.
Each conference participant will receive a ticket for a free drink.
7:00 – 9:00
Program
9:00
Opening remarks: Robyn Blumner, CFI President & CEO; Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF Co-President
Comedian Leighann Lord
Jazz standards circa 1925, performed by vocalist Tahira Clayton, accompanied by Dan Barker
Saturday, July 19th:
Breakfast on your own
7:45 am
Coffee and tea
8:00
Registration re-opens
9:00
Leighann Lord, Emcee, introductory remarks
9:15
Katherine Stewart
Author, “Money, Lies and God”
10:00
Professor Chris Cameron
Author, “Black Freethinkers”
10:30
Bertha Vazquez
CFI Director of Education and Director of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science
11:00
Professor Ed Larson
Clarence Darrow Awardee, author, “Summer for the Gods”
11:45
Book signings for morning speakers
Lunch on your own
1:30 pm
Brenda Wineapple
Author, “Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy and the Trial that Riveted a Nation”
2:15
Richard Katskee
Director, Duke’s Appellate Litigation Clinic
2:45
Coffee & tea
3:00
A Conversation with Judge John Jones III
“Defender of the Constitution Award,” with Robyn Blumner. Q&A
4:00
Book signing for Brenda Wineapple
5:30
Cash Bar in Foyer
6:00
Saturday Night Dinner
8:00
Sunday, July 20th:
Breakfast on your own
9:00 am
Richard Dawkins presents the Richard Dawkins Award to Columbia University linguistics professor and New York Times columnist John McWhorter. Richard and John engage in an on-stage conversation
10:00
Gather at buses
10:15
Bus departs from hotel
11:00
Bus arrives in Dayton
Box lunch provided
11:30
Brief Outdoor Addresses
Robyn Blumner; Annie Laurie Gaylor; Richard Dawkins; Brenda Wineapple, Zenos Frudakis
Noonish – 12:15 pm
Free time to tour the courthouse and museum, and local attractions
Groups of 50 or fewer touring the courthouse and museum—times will be assigned
2:00
Bus departs Dayton to Chattanoogan Hotel
3:00
Arrive back at Chattanoogan
