Madalyn Murray O'Hair facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madalyn Murray O'Hair
O'Hair in 1983
President of American Atheists
In office 1963–1986
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Jon Garth Murray
Personal details
Born	Madalyn Mays (1919-04-13)April 13, 1919 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	September 29, 1995(1995-09-29) (aged 76) San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Spouses	John Roths ​ ​ (m. 1941; div. 1946)​ Richard O'Hair ​ ​ (m. 1965; died 1978)​
Domestic partners	William Murray Michael Fiorillo
Children	William (with Murray) Jon (with Fiorillo)
Education	Ashland University (BA) South Texas College of Law (LLB)

Madalyn Murray O'Hair (born Madalyn Mays; April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American activist. She strongly supported atheism and the idea of separation of church and state. This means keeping government and religious groups separate.

In 1963, she started a group called American Atheists. She was its president until 1986. Her son, Jon Garth Murray, then took over. O'Hair also created the first issues of American Atheist Magazine. She called herself a "militant feminist", meaning she was a strong supporter of women's rights.

O'Hair is most famous for a lawsuit called Murray v. Curlett. This case challenged the rule of mandatory prayers and Bible reading in public schools in Baltimore. Her first son, William J. Murray, was named as the plaintiff in the case. This lawsuit was combined with another important case, Abington School District v. Schempp (1963). The U.S. Supreme Court heard the case. They decided that mandatory Bible reading in American public schools was against the Constitution. The Supreme Court had already said that official school prayer was unconstitutional in a case called Engel v. Vitale (1962).

After she founded American Atheists and won her lawsuit, she became very well-known. In 1964, Life magazine even called her "the most hated woman in America." Through American Atheists, O'Hair filed many other lawsuits. These cases were all about keeping church and state separate.

Early Life and Family

Madalyn Mays was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on April 13, 1919. Her parents were Lena Christina and John Irwin Mays. She had an older brother named Irv. Her family moved to Ohio, and she finished high school in 1936.

In 1941, Madalyn married John Henry Roths. They separated when they both joined the military during World War II. She served in the Women's Army Corps. After the war, she divorced Roths and started using the name Madalyn Murray. She later had a son, William J. Murray III, often called "Bill."

In 1949, Murray earned a bachelor's degree from Ashland University. She also got a law degree from the South Texas College of Law. However, she did not pass the test to become a lawyer.

She moved to Baltimore, Maryland, with her son William. In 1954, she had her second son, Jon Garth Murray.

Madalyn was unhappy when her son William had to say prayers at his school. She believed this was against the law. She told William to write down all religious activities at school. She then asked the school to let William leave class during prayer times. When they said no, she took him out of school. She then filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore Public School System. She argued that mandatory prayer and Bible reading were unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed with her in 1963.

Because of strong public feelings against her family in Baltimore, Murray moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1963. Later, she adopted William's daughter, Robin.

In 1965, Murray married Richard O'Hair and changed her last name. They were legally married until he passed away in 1978.

In 1980, her son William announced he had become a Christian. He later became a Baptist minister. Madalyn publicly disagreed with his choice.

Activism and Beliefs

Fighting for Separation of Church and State

In 1960, O'Hair filed her famous lawsuit, Murray v. Curlett. She argued that requiring students to read the Bible in public schools was wrong. She said her son William was bullied for not joining in. The Supreme Court of the United States heard the case in 1963. They ruled that mandatory public Bible readings were unconstitutional. This was a big win for the idea of keeping government and religion separate.

O'Hair filed other lawsuits too. One was against NASA. She didn't like that U.S. astronauts read from the book of Genesis during their spaceflights. The Supreme Court did not take up this case.

In a 1989 interview, O'Hair shared what she wanted on her tombstone. She said, "Woman, Atheist, Anarchist. That's me." This shows how she saw herself.

Supporting Women's Rights

In 1965, O'Hair called herself a "militant feminist." She was unhappy with how women were treated unfairly in America. She believed women should have equal rights.

American Atheists Organization

After moving to Austin, Texas, O'Hair founded American Atheists in 1963. This group works to protect the civil rights of people who don't believe in God. They also work for the separation of church and state. O'Hair was the first leader and president of the group until 1986. She became the main public voice for atheism in the U.S. during the 1960s and 1970s. Even after her son Jon Garth Murray became president, she still made most of the decisions.

In 1965, she said that religion was "a crutch" and "an irrational reliance on superstitions." She also talked about receiving threats against her and her family. She said she left Baltimore because people were treating her badly.

She started an atheist radio program and a TV show called American Atheist Forum. This show was on over 140 cable television systems.

O'Hair continued to be a well-known figure. She was often invited to appear on TV talk shows. Her son William J. Murray became a Christian in 1980. He later wrote a book about his journey.

In the 1990s, the American Atheists staff included O'Hair, her son Jon Garth Murray, and her granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair. They lived and worked together.

Important Court Cases

O'Hair filed many lawsuits. She argued that the separation of church and state was being broken. Here are some of them:

• Murray v. Curlett (1963): This case challenged Bible reading and prayer in public schools in Maryland.
• Murray v. United States (1964): This case tried to make sure atheists had equal time with religious groups on radio and TV.
• Murray v. Nixon (1970): This case challenged weekly religious services held at the White House.
• O'Hair v. Paine (1971): This case challenged U.S. astronauts reading from the Bible during spaceflights.
• O'Hair v. Cooke (1977): This case challenged the opening prayer at city council meetings in Austin, Texas.
• O'Hair v. Blumenthal (1978): This case challenged the phrase "In God We Trust" on U.S. money.
• O'Hair v. Hill (1978): This case tried to remove a rule in the Texas constitution. The rule said that people holding public office had to believe in God.
• O'Hair v. Andrus (1979): This case challenged using National Park land for the Pope to hold a Roman Catholic mass.
• O'Hair v. Clements (1980): This case tried to remove a nativity scene from the capitol building in Austin, Texas.

Disappearance and Death

On August 27, 1995, O'Hair, her son Jon Garth Murray, and her granddaughter Robin Murray O'Hair disappeared. A note on their office door said they had left town for an emergency. Police found their home looking like they had left quickly. Phone calls from the trio said they were on "business" in San Antonio, Texas. Jon Garth Murray ordered a large amount of gold coins.

Sadly, the three were later found to have been murdered by former associates. Their bodies were discovered in 2001.

Images for kids

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  The side of the American Atheists granite bench and plinth at the Bradford County Courthouse, Florida, showing a quote by O'Hair

See also

• Charles E. Stevens American Atheist Library and Archives
• List of kidnappings
• List of solved missing person cases