1999-2010 (In Progress)

2000 – 2002

Society of Militant Atheists forms as an official student group
founded by physics students Peter Brabant and D.J. Box. They read an article in the Kansan about how Campus Crusade For Christ was receiving funding from Student Senate, and they were outraged and decided to form a club for atheists.
Physics professor David Besson was the first faculty adviser for SOMA.
Mission Statement:

To raise awareness of atheism and agnosticism, while simultaneously dispelling negative connotations often affixed to atheism and agnosticism.
To provide a setting whereby atheists and agnostics can express and unite their views to acquire organized representation in public forum.
To provide an impetus for people to question their beliefs pertaining to religion and how these beliefs are then applied in fields such as science, morality, and politics.
To publicly challenge any group claiming to have absolute knowledge of what humans ought to believe, how humans ought to behave, and how existence came to be.
To champion the cause of human reason over divine revelation.
To advocate the separation of church and state.

2002-2003

2003-2004

President: Stephanie Kirmer
Vice President: Ethan Fosse
Event Organizer: Keiv Spare
Stephanie Kirmer sits on panel with about a dozen religious leaders – some of them were scholars from other universities, hosted by Student Government and the ECM to inform about different religions and worldviews.
Steven Pinker visit KU to speak
Notable Meetings

BULLSHIT! w/ Penn & Teller Episode
Field Trip George Carlin in the Lied Center
Ed Buckner
Clark Adams
Darwin Day lecture is Dr. Adrian Melott discussing the efforts of Kansas Citizens for Science in combating the creationist takeover of the Kansas School Board.

2004-2005

President: Andrew Stangle
Vice President: Ethan Fosse
Event Organizer: Keiv Spare
Treasurer: Sandy Adra
Dan Barker event is denied funding by Student Senate due to being considered a religious event after new Senate rule causes significant controversy. Ruling is reversed, then reversed again and event goes on without Senate funding.
Dan Barker speaks to crowd of 500 standing room only in Woodruff Auditorium
Joann Bell, the Executive Director of the ACLU of Oklahoma speaks
Michael Newdow spoke about restoring the pledge of allegiance
E.O. Wilson visits the university to speak
SOMA recieved the Best Media award from the Secular Student Alliance for a newspaper article in the Lawrence Journal-World featuring efforts to publicize campus Freethought.
Notable Meetings:

Darwin Day Gift Exchange
Darwin Day lecture given by Dr. Leonard Kristalka
Douglas County AIDS Project Pledge Walk
“Religiously Incorrect” structured like a talk show, similar to Politically Incorrect, featuring a panel is hosted by SOMA
Hosted training for church-state separation activists, co-sponsored by Americans United for Church and State

2005-2006

President: Andrew Stangle
Vice President: Paul Youk
Secretary: Laney Albritten
Treasurer: Sandy Adra
Webmaster: Jon Voisey
Salman Rushdie visits KU to speak
Lawyers from the Dover PA trial speak at KU
Advisor Paul Mirecki is embroiled in controversy regarding a class critical of intelligent design.

He is brutally assaulted by unknown parties and eventually steps down as chair of Religious Studies amid the controversy. The university affirms they stand behind him and his teaching.

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

President: Colin Barnes then Clayton Perkins
Vice President: Hillary Hauber
Community Organizer: Joey Ralph
Webmaster: Chris Redford
Movement to be more inclusive gains traction . Group discusses changing the name to Secular Student Alliance at KU. Group stays SOMA as Society of Open-Minded Atheists & Agnostics

2009 – 2010

* Best estimate of timing based on information available