Clarence Darrow

1857–1938

American

Trial lawyer. A powerful speaker, he defended radical ideas and unpopular clients with zeal. In the famous Scopes case, he ridiculed presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan's belief that every word in the Bible was literally true. His client was convicted of teaching Darwinian ideas of evolution in opposition to Tennessee state law, but Darrow and Scopes were thought to have won the battle for public opinion. In addition to his work in court, Darrow was an interesting writer and radical social thinker.