PRAYER BANNED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

religion-in-school-headline.jpgSUPREME COURT VOTES 8-1 IN LANDMARK DECISION

The Macon Telegraph
Macon, Georgia
June 18, 1963

A front page three-column headline announces, “HIGH COURT BANS PRAYER IN SCHOOLS.” Subhead clarifies: “Ruling Goes 8-1 Against Prayer, Bible Reading.” The historic report begins: “In a sweeping 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court Monday banned as unconstitutional any required use of the Lord’s Prayer or Bible reading in public schools for devotional purposes. The long awaited ruling….charged that such religious exercises violated the First Amendment which prohibits governmental “establishment of religion.” (The ruling came about owing to a case of Madalyn Murray O’Hair (not mentioned in the report), a militant atheist, who filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore School Board. After the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled against her, the case went to the Supreme Court ending with this still-controversial decision).

Here is the complete and original 14-page edition of this Georgia newspaper in very fine condition. It’s the first time The Mitchell Archives has ever located a copy of any newspaper containing this decision, and we may never again find another. Frameable, and a great piece with which to start a discussion or two!

$550

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Posted by mmitchell | Filed Under All Historic Newspapers, The 20th + 21st Centuries