On May 18, 1967, Tennessee Governor Buford Ellington signed a law that repealed the prohibition of teaching evolution that was used to prosecute teacher John Scopes in 1925.

On Jul. 21, 1925, the Scopes Trial concluded with the jury finding John Scopes guilty. One year later, the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the Dayton court decision on a technicality — the court determined that the fine should have been set by the jury, not the judge. Rather than send the case back for further action, the Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed the case.