Dr. Edward Larson Download a high-resolution version

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Edward Larson, Talmadge Chair of Law and Russell Professor of American History at the University of Georgia, will deliver his lecture, “From Dayton to Dover: A Brief History of the Evolution Teaching Controversy,” Jan.15 at 7:30 p.m. in 127 Biology Building on The University of Alabama campus.

Larson will speak on the history of the evolution teaching controversy in the United States, with particular focus on the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial in Dayton, Tenn., and the 2006 trial regarding teaching intelligent design in Dover, Pa.

Larson’s lecture is the second in a series of six speakers from The Alabama Lectures on Life’s Evolution, known as ALLELE, for the 2007-2008 academic year. The third year of the series is made possible by gifts from Lou Perry of La Jolla, Calif., Eric Hopkins of Austin, Texas and The Barbara and Frank Peters Foundation of Corona del Mar, Calif. The ALLELE series is also supported by the Bankhead Foundation Endowment in the department of history.

Larson has written six books and more than 100 published articles about issues of law, science and medicine within a historical context. His books include “Trial and Error: The American Controversy Over Creation and Evolution” (1985), “Sex, Race, and Science: Eugenics in the Deep South” (1995), and “Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory” (2004). In 1998, Larson became the first sitting law professor to receive the Pulitzer Prize in history for his 1997 book, “Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion.”

Larson’s research has appeared in journals including Nature, Atlantic Monthly, Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, and British Journal for the History of Science. He has also appeared on programs for PBS, the History Channel, Court TV, CNN and C-SPAN.

He has received the 1997 Templeton Prize for Outstanding Article in Science and Religion, the 2000 George Sarton Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 2001 Christ-Janer Award for Outstanding Research in the Humanities, and the 2003 American Spirit Award from the Conference on Southern Literature. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters by The Ohio State University.

Larson received his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1979 and his doctorate in the history of science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984. Before joining the University of Georgia in 1987, Larson served as associate counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, counsel for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement and was an attorney with a Seattle law firm.

For more information, visit www.bama.ua.edu/~evolution/alleleindex.html.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.