Center of the Storm: Memoirs of John T. Scopes

New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1967. First Edition, First Printing. Cloth. Fine/near fine. The first edition of Center of the Storm: Memoirs of John T. Scopes, inscribed by the author.. Octavo, vi, [2], 277pp. Blue cloth, title stamped in white on spine. Stated "first edition" on the copyright page. Offsetting to endpapers from laid-in newspaper clipping, now removed. A fine example. In the publisher's near fine dust jacket, $5.95 on front flap, shallow chipping at head of spine, a bright, near fine example. Signed on the front endpaper by John T. Scopes, who died two years after the book's publication. John T. Scopes (1900–1970) was an American educator best known for his role in the 1925 "Scopes Monkey Trial," which tested the legality of teaching evolution in Tennessee public schools. Scopes, a high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, was charged with violating the Butler Act, a state law prohibiting the teaching of human evolution. The trial, featuring prominent attorneys Clarence Darrow for the defense and William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution, became a national sensation. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100, though the verdict was later overturned on a technicality. After the trial, Scopes pursued a quieter life, studying geology and working in the oil industry until his retirement. (Inventory #: 16572)