Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co.
415 U.S. 36 · Decided February 19, 1974 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co. was decided on February 19, 1974 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 415 U.S. 36 · 94 S. Ct. 1011 · 39 L. Ed. 2d 147 · 1974 U.S. LEXIS 95
- Docket number
- 72-5847
- Decided
- February 19, 1974
- Argued
- November 5, 1973
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Lewis F. Powell Jr.
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Type of law
- Federal statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority |
Full case caption
Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co.
SCDB identifiers: case 1973-048, docket 1973-048-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Employment discrimination (race, age, religion, illegitimacy, national origin, working conditions)”
- McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green
- Johnson v. Railway Express Agency, Inc.
- Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody
- Love v. Pullman Co.
- Franks v. Bowman Transportation Co., Inc.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People v. Federal Power Commission
Cases on the same legal provision: Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)
- Espinoza et Vir v. Farah Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- General Electric Co. v. Gilbert
- Phillips v. Martin Marietta Corp.
- Dothard v. Rawlinson
- Nashville Gas Co. v. Satty
- Richmond Unified School District v. Berg
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- United States Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Hibi
- Dennett v. Hogan
- Department of Game of Washington v. Puyallup Tribe
- Kusper v. PontikesLaw held unconstitutional
- Espinoza et Vir v. Farah Manufacturing Co., Inc.
- O'Brien v. SkinnerLaw held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error