RESPONDENT:Theophilis Shickel Painter
LOCATION: University of Texas Law School
DOCKET NO.: 44
DECIDED BY: Vinson Court (1949-1953)
LOWER COURT: Supreme Court of Texas
ARGUED: Apr 04, 1950
DECIDED: Jun 05, 1950
ADVOCATES:
Thurgood Marshall – for the petitioner
Joe R. Greenhill – for the respondents
Price Daniel – for the respondents
W. J. Durham – for the petitioner
Facts of the case
In 1946, Heman Marion Sweatt, a black man, applied for admission to the University of Texas Law School. State law restricted access to the university to whites, and Sweatt’s application was automatically rejected because of his race. When Sweatt asked the state courts to order his admission, the university attempted to provide separate but equal facilities for black law students.
Question
Did the Texas admissions scheme violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
