Madalyn Murray O'Hair (née Mays; April 13, 1919 – September 29, 1995) was an American activist, supporting atheism and separation of church and state. In 1963 she founded American Atheists and served as its president until 1986, after which her son Jon Garth Murray succeeded her. She created the first issues of American Atheist Magazine.
O'Hair is best known for the Murray v. Curlett lawsuit, which challenged the policy of mandatory prayers and Bible reading in Baltimore public schools, in which she named her first son William J. Murray as plaintiff. Consolidated with Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), it was heard by the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that officially sanctioned mandatory Bible-reading in American public schools was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court had prohibited officially sponsored prayer in schools in Engel v. Vitale (1962) on similar grounds. After she founded the American Atheists and won Murray v. Curlett, she achieved attention to the extent that in 1964 Life magazine referred to her as "the most hated woman in America". Through American Atheists, O'Hair filed numerous other suits on issues of separation of church and state.
In 1995, O'Hair, her second son Jon Garth Murray (known as "Garth"), and her granddaughter and adopted daughter Robin Murray O'Hair (daughter of O'Hair's first son, William J. Murray, and Murray's high school girlfriend, Susan), disappeared from Austin, Texas. Garth Murray had withdrawn hundreds of thousands of dollars from American Atheists' funds, and there was speculation that the trio had absconded. David Roland Waters, a convicted felon and former employee of American Atheists, was eventually convicted of murdering the O'Hairs. The bodies were not found until Waters led authorities to their burial place following his conviction.
Sol turns thousands of years of human wisdom from the world’s spiritual traditions into a totally unique personality profile. To get your own profile, check compatibility with friends and much more, download the Sol App today.
Some of their strengths
Madalyn Murray O'Hair has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Energetic, Diplomatic, Brave, Passionate, Intelligent, Imaginative, and Kind.
Independent and Brave
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Madalyn Murray O'Hair is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who defines themself by their friends and what groups they belong to.
Adaptable and Versatile
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Madalyn Murray O'Hair well know them as someone who can be adaptable, flexible, and polite, like a flower or a sapling.
Productive and Perseverent
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Madalyn Murray O'Hair as someone who is productive, persevering, deliberate, and direct.
A person who is creative, has good luck with work and money, good listening skills, good relationships with people at work, is a good teacher or counselor, and who is good at organizing groups, teams, or causes.
Vigorous and Friendly
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Madalyn Murray O'Hair is someone who has a vigor and energy that applies itself to all life's activities and endeavors, and a knack for forming family-like structures, groups, and communities.
They are also someone who is charismatic, compassionate, and understanding, and who is interested in expressing themselves through writing, public speaking, or teaching.
Independent and Dynamic
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Madalyn Murray O'Hair tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.
Some of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's challenges
While Madalyn Murray O'Hair has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Madalyn Murray O'Hair can be Short-tempered, Impulsive, Self-centered, Pleasure-seeking, Hesitant, Narcissistic, and Hypocritical.
Short-tempered and Impulsive
One of Madalyn Murray O'Hair's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.
Madalyn Murray O'Hair must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.
Possessive and Stubborn
Madalyn Murray O'Hair is someone who can be possessive, jealous, inflexible, and stubborn, can have a habit of being a frivolous spender, and who can feel insecure or cynical in romantic relationships and have difficulty forming productive personal and professional partnerships.
Aggressive and Domineering
Finally, Madalyn Murray O'Hair also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.
