[Ads-l] Saying: There will be prayers in our schools as long as there are final exams

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

A professor writing an algebra book contacted me to explore the
following quotation attributed to journalist Cokie Roberts.

As long as algebra is taught in school, there will be prayer in school.

There are many variants of this quip, and the QI website now has an
entry on this topic with a first citation dated September 22, 1964.
The event inspiring prayer was a final exam.(The subject was
unspecified.)

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/08/14/prayers/

Barry Popik has a pertinent webpage with citations beginning in 1983,
and he is acknowledged and linked.

https://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/as_long_as_there_are_final_exams_there_will_be_prayer_in_schools/

Additional earlier citations and germane information would be welcome.
Garson O'Toole

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