The Herald-News - News Story

    Bryan College will no longer participate in the annual Scopes Festival, most notably in the organization and presentation of the Scopes Trial re-enactment for which the event is renowned.
    Margie Legg, executive assistant to the president of Bryan College, announced to the Dayton Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 10 that the Christian liberal arts college would not co-sponsor or produce a re-enactment for the 2009 Scopes Festival.
    Bryan College has been involved in the festival for the last 21 years. For the last 10 years, the school has partnered with the Dayton Chamber of Commerce to organize the July festival, which commemorates the era and events surrounding the Scopes Trial of 1925.
    The trial involved the prosecution of John T. Scopes for teaching evolution at a local public school contrary to the Tennessee law of the time, which outlawed instruction of the scientific theory. Clarence Darrow, the nation's best defense lawyer of the 1920s represented Scopes, and William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State, prosecuted the case. Largely because of their participation, the trial garnered worldwide media attention.
    Bryan died in Dayton five days after the trial, and in 1930 William Jennings Bryan College was founded and named in his honor.
    The festival traditionally features a full-length re-enactment of the trial on the grounds of the historic Rhea County courthouse, produced by Bryan College. This past year the college put on a partial re-enactment of the trial and an oral historical account.
    "This isn't to divorce ourselves from the community - that's the furthest thing from our minds - but this decision reflects the change in how we're looking at promoting William Jennings Bryan," said Tom Davis, director of public information for Bryan College. "It's something we've done for the past 21 years, and it's time to look at something new."
    The college would like to focus on William Jennings Bryan's accomplishments throughout the years and his impact on society, not merely his connection to the Scopes Trial, Davis explained.
    This goal accompanies the school's Vision 2020, a long-range development plan that includes a new entrance and additional accommodations for its growing student body and expanding programs, Legg added.
    In addition to this vision for the college, Davis said organizers of the festival have had a hard time getting people in the community interested in and participating in the three-day event.
    Attendance at the event has decreased and this has affected event revenues, as well. Depending upon attendance, the festival barely raises enough money to cover costs, according to Randy Wells, president of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.
    "We've had a good success with raising a cast [for the re-enactment], but there's a lot more that goes into the festival than the main attraction," said Davis. "Because of that, the college thought it best to go in a different direction."
    Davis added that the college is interested in the Scopes Trial, but also in the overall picture of William Jennings Bryan.
    "Anything that would develop to replace the Scopes Festival, we would be interested in pursuing it. It would need to be community driven and not simply college driven," Davis said.
    Although Bryan College will be breaking ties with the Scopes Festival, it will continue to participate in Rhea County's annual Strawberry Festival, said Legg.
    Tom Morgan, who organizes the music aspect of the festival, said he was shocked at the news from Bryan, because the college would not exist were it not for the Scopes Trial. However, he agreed with Davis that next year would require a community effort to pull off the event.
    Morgan suggested big-name bluegrass bands as a way to attract crowds to the 2009 festival. He also said he would need to focus on a music overview instead of only period pieces.
    "I don't know what the future looks like," said Raymond Walker, executive director of Rhea Economic and Tourism Council. "As far as tourism is concerned, we'll miss [the re-enactment] because it does affect us."
    The Chamber of Commerce requires about $8,000 to produce the festival, $6,500 of which is usually designated for the re-enactment, according to Davis. A $2,000 state grant received by Bryan College also helps fund event costs.
    Wells said the chamber of commerce has generated approximately $7,000-$8,000 of gross revenue from the festival, but without the re-enactment, it would make nearly nothing.
    Wells said the board is currently trying to flesh out ideas for next year's festival. In years past, the festival has also offered period music, crafts, children's activities, antique car shows, book discussions, outdoor films and downtown store specials.
    "I think the chamber of commerce and several groups and Bryan College want to have something that benefits the college and the citizens of Dayton, but we don't know what it is-we're working on it," Wells said.
    The next Chamber of Commerce meeting is scheduled for Jan. 11, where members will continue to hash out ideas for the Scopes Festival.
    Michelle Friesen can be reached at michelle.friesen@rheaheraldnews.com.