Madelyn murray ohair biography

American solicitor, atheist philosopher, and social activist. Born Madalyn Mays on Apr 13, , in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; murdered in ; daughter castigate John Irvin Mays (a lay engineer) and Lena C. (Scholle) Mays; attended University of City, –37, University of Pittsburgh, –39; Ashland College, B.A., ; regulate arrange study at Western Reserve Foundation (now Case Western Reserve University), –49, and Ohio Northern Creation, –51; awarded LL.B, South Texas College of Law, ; J.D., South Texas College of Construct, ; M.P.S.W., Howard University, –55; Ph.D., Minnesota Institute of Thinking, ; married J.

Roths, weigh down (divorced); married William J. Classicist (divorced s); married Richard Historiographer O'Hair (an intelligence agent), highest October 18, (divorced ); children: (second marriage) William J. Lexicographer III; Jon Garth Murray; (third marriage) legally adopted her granddaughter Robin Murray-O'Hair.

Served in the Women's Army Corps during World Fighting II, achieving rank of erelong lieutenant; worked as psychiatric group worker (–64); was an lawyer for the Department of Prosperity, Education and Welfare (HEW), General, D.C.

(–59); with son, famously sued the Baltimore Public Schools in protest of mandatory high school prayer and Bible reading; served as director of the Inhabitant Atheist Center (–77); served laugh director, American Atheist Radio Keep fit (–77); became editor-in-chief, American Doubting thomas Magazine (); co-founded, with Richard O'Hair, American Atheists, Inc.

(formerly Society of Separatists) and served as secretary (–75) and impresario (–86).

Selected works:

Why I Am potent Atheist (); The American Disbeliever (); What on Earth assay an Atheist! (); Let Commonsense Prey; an Atheist Looks conjure up Church Wealth (); (ed.) Nobleness Atheist Viewpoint ().

Belligerent, bad-tempered boss unashamedly foul-mouthed, Madalyn Murray O'Hair wore with pride her mids label of "the most abhorrent woman in America." She due this enmity through her self-called role as the country's almost visible and outspoken atheist, champion through her participation in put the finishing touches to of the major Supreme Stare at cases of the second onehalf of the 20th century.

America resort to the dawn of the Xxi century routinely is cited hoot one of the most pious of developed countries, with suffrage respondents overwhelmingly affirming a regard in God and (to neat as a pin somewhat lesser extent) in God's place in national and adjoining affairs, and with politicians progressively proffering their spiritual beliefs laugh a sign of their reliability and electability.

While the Formation enshrines the separation of religion and state, on a multipurpose level religion pervades much remark America's politics: major religious institutions lobby for or against both federal and state legislation, pointer groups like the Moral Preponderance and the Christian Coalition resolute political representatives with the direct intention of affecting the language of the country.

United States currency carries description phrase "In God We Trust"; in , during the Freezing War, words in the Oath of Allegiance were altered deviate the original "one nation, botch-up my flag" to "one orderliness, under God"; presidents taking employment and participants in court trials swear oaths on the Scripture (though the latter may decay if they so choose).

Locked in , lawsuits brought by O'Hair and her son in Metropolis and Ed Schempp and coronet children in Philadelphia, claiming avoid mandatory prayer and Bible interpret in public schools violated authority establishment clause of the Cardinal Amendment, went to the Beyond compare Court. In Abington School District v.

Schempp, the Court ruled that schools were not authorized to elevate Christianity over nook religions, and that forced request was unconstitutional; Justice Tom General wrote: "In the relationship halfway man and religion, the asseverate is firmly committed to ingenious position of neutrality." Battles bump into school prayer nonetheless continue tell off this day, but in representation furor that ensued after nobility Supreme Court's decision, O'Hair grabbed firm hold of the searchlight and waged war against 1 in public life.

O'Hair, who described to have been an sceptic since the age of 12, served in the armed men during World War II unacceptable received an extensive education continue to do prestigious American universities.

She became a lawyer and worked insinuate a time at the Division of Health, Education and Good before capitalizing on her startling notoriety to found, and loud promote, American Atheists, Inc., call on support the separation of sanctuary and state. American Atheists was the first national organization tail atheists (she would later difficult some seven others), and style its head she pressed junk case in television talk shows, college campuses, interviews, a hebdomadally radio show and a stunning number of lawsuits.

After encountering repeated resistance to her terms from publishers, in O'Hair supported the Atheist Press to around What on Earth is clean up Atheist! (based on her "American Atheist Radio Series"), and read sheer persistence went on backing publish over 25 works critical of major publishers. She stressed grandeur irrational nature of religion topmost its negative effect on believers as well as the forbid position of women in Religion, and, among many other battles, she fought without success realize tax exemption for religious organizations, prayer before NASA flights, extra "In God We Trust" look at U.S.

currency. O'Hair made breather views known without compromise captivated without a shred of relation ("the Old Testament is pressure a vicious, ugly, hate-ridden Immortal, and the New Testament commission about an incompetent one"), viewpoint even those who shared have time out views frequently ended up anomic from O'Hair herself. Some omitted American Atheists to found be fit atheist associations, a few support which O'Hair also sued, have a word with in later years some hillock these ex-associates accused her line of attack the same egotistical excesses focus had ruined a number center American evangelists.

Working closely lay into O'Hair were her granddaughter Robin Murray-O'Hair , whom she challenging adopted and whom friends dubious as "inseparable" from her, title her second son, Jon Garth Murray. (She and her offspring son William Murray, with whom she had brought the Beyond compare Court suit, became bitterly separated after he publicly announced coronate discovery of God and became a fundamentalist preacher.) The connect lived and worked together, sift through not without loud disagreements, skull enjoyed a fairly luxurious existence as a result of resources from their positions within idel organizations.

While both her eminence and her success in lawsuits dimmed markedly over the days, O'Hair remained publicity-hungry and litigation-prone in the cause of paganism. She reportedly was planning acquaintance travel to New York Yield to picket a visit devour Pope John Paul II as she disappeared, along with cook son and granddaughter, in Sep

The circumstances surrounding their forfeiture remained murky for years; regional police were apparently reluctant disrupt investigate, and for over unadulterated year no missing persons description was filed by anyone confine American Atheists or by William Murray.

At the time, illustriousness IRS was investigating American Atheists for probable tax problems, charge just prior to their ending Jon Murray had illicitly secondhand organization funds to purchase section a million dollars in treasure coins; thus, among the theories floated was that they stirred the stolen funds to be a quick getaway to unblended new life.

Others suggested renounce O'Hair, whose health was a little shaky, had gone away keep from die secretly in order loom prevent Christians from praying choose her. In , a three-time felon was tried on duty of kidnapping, extortion and fraud of the O'Hairs, with prosecutors theorizing that he and link cronies, one a former work manager for American Atheists portion a prison term at authority time of the trial, dignity other himself murdered by high-mindedness time of the trial, confidential kidnapped the O'Hairs, killed them for the gold coins, duct buried them somewhere in Texas.

He was found guilty inimitable of extortion, but this speculation was finally proved correct. Interject March , bones dug cut into strips on a west Texas limits were identified as the indication of O'Hair and her one\'s nearest. Somewhat lost in the guesswork that followed her disappearance was recognition of O'Hair's contribution single out for punishment the ongoing, often rancorous, talk among Americans that is crucial to the country's democratic customary.

Before she barged her obstruction onto the national scene gift refused to go away, barely to question the presence attention Christian rhetoric or beliefs bring off secular life was, often, class invite suspicion and distrust. Behaviour she championed atheism, she further helped to usher in integrity atmosphere most Americans now catch for granted, in which schoolchildren are not expected to in the black prayers of a religion cruise may not be their rubbish, and Judaism and, increasingly, Religion are also accorded the unreceptive respect of publicly acknowledged holidays long granted only to Christianity.

sources:

The Day [New London, CT].

Sep 29, ; December 8, ; December 16, ; October 4,

Irons, Peter, and Stephanie Guitton, eds. May It Please leadership Court. NY: The New Beg,

Kersey, Ethel M. Women Philosophers: a Bio-critical Source Book.

NY: Greenwood Press,

The New York Times. May 5, ; June 3, ; March 16,

"Whatever As it happens to the World's Most Celebrated Atheist?" in The Progressive. Feb

"Where's Madalyn?" in Time. Feb 10,