Ellery Schempp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ellery Schempp
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Ellery Schempp in 2012
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| Born | August 5, 1940 Philadelphia, PA
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Ellery Schempp (born August 5, 1940) is an American physicist. He is well-known for a very important case in 1963. This case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court. The court decided that public schools could not make students read the Bible. This decision was a big step for freedom of religion in schools.
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About Ellery Schempp
Ellery Schempp was born in Philadelphia. He grew up in a town called Abington Township. He finished Abington High School in 1958. After high school, he went to Tufts University. There, he earned degrees in physics and geology. In 1967, Ellery Schempp earned his Ph.D. in physics from Brown University.
Today, Mr. Schempp is retired. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts. A professor named Stephen D. Solomon wrote a book about Ellery Schempp. The book is called Ellery’s Protest: How One Young Man Defied Tradition and Sparked the Battle over School Prayer.
His Important Protest
On November 26, 1956, Ellery Schempp decided to protest. His school made every student read 10 Bible passages. They also had to say the Lord's Prayer each day. This happened during homeroom.
That day, Ellery brought a copy of the Qur'an. He read from it instead of the Bible. Because of this, he was sent to the principal's office.
Taking the Case to Court
With help from his father, Edward Schempp, they decided to sue the school. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also helped them. They challenged the school's rule about mandatory Bible readings.
To keep the case going, Ellery and his younger siblings, Roger and Donna, kept fighting. The Schempp family were Unitarian Universalists. This is a religious community that believes in many different paths to truth.
The case finally reached the Supreme Court in 1963. This was five years after Ellery had graduated from high school. The court decided in favor of the Schempps.
Why the Decision Matters
This decision set a very important rule. It said that public schools cannot force students to take part in religious activities. This rule has been used many times since then. It helps make sure that schools respect everyone's beliefs. It also helps keep religion separate from government.
Ellery Schempp says he is an atheist. However, he supports Unitarian Universalist groups. He is also a strong supporter of the ACLU. He believes strongly in the separation of church and state. This means the government should not favor any religion.
He often speaks at meetings for Unitarian Universalists. He also speaks at meetings for secular humanists. He talks about his protest and the Constitution. He also discusses the Bill of Rights. As of 2011, he was still active in a Unitarian Universalist church.
Awards and Recognition
Ellery Schempp is a member of several groups. These include the American Humanist Association. He is also part of the Freedom from Religion Foundation. He belongs to Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. In 1996, he received the Religious Liberty Award. This award was from Americans United. He also advises the Secular Student Alliance. He is on the board of the Secular Coalition for America. He has traveled around the country sharing his story.
In 2002, Ellery Schempp was honored by his old high school. He was elected to Abington Senior High School's hall of fame. This was for his achievements in physics. In his speech, he joked that "When I left Abington in 1958, it wasn’t clear that Abington ever wanted to see me again." The award did mention his important role. It said he "Initiated school prayer suit against Abington which was eventually decided by U.S. Supreme Court in 1963.”
His Work in Physics
Ellery Schempp's Ph.D. paper was about "Nuclear Quadrupole Resonance in Nitrogen Heterocycles." This work was very important. It helped lead to the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI is a way to see inside the human body. He continued to work on MRI for much of his career.
See also
In Spanish: Ellery Schempp para niños
