BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Madalyn O'Hair Founder, American Atheists Dr. O'Hair initiated the Unite

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Madalyn O'Hair Founder, American Atheists Dr. O'Hair initiated the United States Supreme Court case _Murray v. Curlett,_ which removed reverential Bible reading and prayer recitation from the public schools of our nation in June 1963. She founded American Atheists in the same year. Together with GORA of India she also founded the United World Atheists and sponsored triennial World Atheist Meets. A champion of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience, and the right to be free from religion, she is known nationally and internationally as an Atheist spokesperson. Born in 1919, she received her doctorate in jurisprudence in 1952, when the nation's law schools were all-male. She began her study at the Warren G. Harding School of Law, Ohio Northern University, and completed it at the South Texas College of Law. Dr. O'Hair also founded the Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library and Archives, which has become the largest collection of freethought material in the world. She founded the American Atheist Press, the _American Atheist_ magazine, and the "American Atheist Radio Series." She has hosted the "American Atheist Television Forum" since its first show in June 1980. Though she stepped aside from the presidency of American Atheists in 1986, she looks forward to many more years of ground-breaking activities. LEGAL ACTIVISM _Murray v. Curlett_ (1963), a challenge to reverential Bible reading and prayer recitation in Maryland public schools. _Murray v. United States_ (1964), a suit seeking to force the Federal Communications Commission to extend the Fairness Doctrine so that Atheists could have equal time with religion on radio and television. _O'Hair v. Nixon_ (1970), a challenge to weekly religious services in the White House. _O'Hair v. Paine_ (1971), a challenge to NASA's religious use of the space program to require astronauts to read the Bible during a space flight. _O'Hair v. Cooke_ (1977), a challenge to the opening prayer at city council meetings in Austin, Texas. _O'Hair v. Blumenthal_ (1978), a challenge to the inclusion of the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency. _O'Hair v. Hill_ (1978), a suit to have removed from the Texas constitution a provision requiring a belief in god of persons holding offices of public trust. _O'Hair v. Andrus_ (1979), a challenge to the use of National Park facilities for the pope to hold a Roman Catholic mass on the Mall in Washington, D.C. _O'Hair v. Clements_ (1980), an attempt to remove the nativity scene displayed in the rotunda of the capitol building in Austin, Texas. *************************************************************** Provided courtesy of the American Atheist General Headquarters, Inc., 7215 Cameron Road, Austin, TX 78752. Telephone: (512) 458-1244. FAX: (512) 467-9525. *********************************************************************** * * * American Atheists website: http://www.atheists.org * * PO Box 140195 FTP: ftp://ftp.atheists.org * * Austin, TX 78714-0195 * * Voice: (512) 458-1244 Dial-THE-ATHEIST: * * FAX: (512) 467-9525 (512) 458-5731 * * * * Atheist Viewpoint TV: avtv@atheists.org * * Info on American Atheists: info@atheists.org, * * & American Atheist Press include your name and mailing address * * AANEWS -Free subscription: aanews-request@listserv.atheists.org * * and put "info aanews" in message body * * * * This text may be freely downloaded, reprinted, and/other * * otherwise redistributed, provided appropriate point of * * origin credit is given to American Atheists. * * * ***********************************************************************