Becoming the Most Hated Woman in America: Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Abstract

On December 8, 1960, Madalyn Murray filed suit in Superior Court of Baltimore, Maryland, asking Court to rule unconstitutional required Bible reading and recitation of Lord's prayer in city's public schools. She claimed that son William's First Amendment rights were being violated, and that he was being discriminated against because he refused to participate in his school's morning religious exercise. Defeated in lower courts, she appealed what became Murray v. Curlett to United States Supreme Court, where it was joined with a similar case out of Pennsylvania, Schempp v. School District of Abington Township. On June 17, 1963, Court found in favor of Murrays and Schempps, and by a margin of eight to one, declared that Maryland and Pennsylvania laws violated Establishment Clause of First Amendment. Although not having occurred without some warning or precedent in courts [see Engel v. Vitale (1962)], much of nation was stunned and angry. Whereas Schempps, who had taken a low profile throughout their case, shunned limelight, Murray seized it. She took credit for single-handedly banning Bible reading and prayer from nation's public schools. She overstated case, but Americans, searching for someone to blame, were only too willing to accept claim. When she chose to push for further separation of church and state-challenging words under in Pledge of Allegiance, God We Trust on American currency, taxexempt status of religious organizations, Pope's performing mass on Washington mall, and US astronauts' reading Bible in space-she became most visible of American atheists. Indeed, she became the most hated woman in America. The details of life of Madalyn Murray-who, upon second marriage in 1968, became better known as Madalyn Murray O'Hair-are fascinating. But even more fascinating is story of how Americans responded to her. Similarly, ideas on religion are interesting, but no more interesting than how those ideas related to American culture from Cold War to end of twentieth century. As son William, who later broke with over atheist activities, wrote: reality my mother did not create time, time created her (Duggan Cl). Madalyn Murray O'Hair struggled against cultural and political consensus on many subjects, especially religion. Not being content to personally and quietly reject idea of belief in God, she launched a crusade against it and brought atheism out of study and shadows of society to masses. Nevertheless, Madalyn Murray O'Hair has never been subject of any comprehensive study. Aside from several vitriolic attacks and a few attempts to defend her, no one has seriously examined life, behavior, and historical context of actions. In this article, I take up question: Why did she persist-even glory in-taking on America's religious establishment and mainstream values, when it meant incurring wrath of nation? I conclude that it was both a personal and contextual matter. To show that, I make particular use of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's diaries and personal papers, which, though still in private hands, were made available to me. It is first time that they have been used for this purpose. In order to avoid confusion over various name changes-Mays, Roths, Murray, O'Hair-I have often referred to as Madalyn. I have done this for clarity and do not mean to make this formidable figure appear diminutive. The American Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair was intelligent and well-educated, both formally and informally. Her use of foul language shocked people, but message was always accessible to even minimally educated. And she made effective use of media. By personal behavior- somewhat exaggerated by enemies and press- she personified what people expected of atheists. …