This 1896 photograph of William Jennings Bryan (shown seated on the far left side of the seat facing forward) was snapped when he came through the South Bend area during his first of three—all unsuccessful—runs for president. The Democratic candidate was defeated by William McKinley in 1896 and again in 1900, and William Howard Taft was victorious over Bryan in the 1908 election. Bryan, well known for his oratory skills, represented Nebraska in Congress from 1890-92, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. He may be best known for his participation in the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial, in which he attacked the theory of evolution in his arguments for the prosecution, while Clarence Darrow represented the high school teacher on trial, John Scopes. Donated by Calvin E. Koontz.