Swanson v. University of Virginia

Charlottesville County · dedicated 2021 · 201 E. Market St.

The University of Virginia, established in 1819 for white men only, rejected the application of Gregory Swanson (1924-1992) to its graduate school of law in 1950 because he was black. Swanson, a lawyer from Danville, filed suit with the support of the NAACP. On 5 Sept. 1950, the U.S. District Court heard the case in this building, later the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. A panel of three federal judges ruled that the university had violated Swanson’s 14th Amendment rights and must allow him to enroll. In the fall semester of 1950, Swanson became the first black student to attend UVA. Soon afterward other public colleges in Virginia began admitting black students to graduate programs.

Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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