Bolling v. Sharpe
347 U.S. 497 · Decided May 17, 1954 · 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
Bolling v. Sharpe was decided on May 17, 1954 unanimously (9–0). SCDB codes the disposition as “stay, petition, or motion granted.” Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “School desegregation” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 347 U.S. 497 · 74 S. Ct. 693 · 98 L. Ed. 2d 884 · 1954 U.S. LEXIS 2095
- Docket number
- 8
- Decided
- May 17, 1954
- Argued
- December 10, 1952
- Reargued
- December 8, 1953
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Stay, petition, or motion granted
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Earl Warren
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- School desegregation
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fifth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- An act of Congress
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Majority | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Bolling et al. v. Sharpe et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1953-070, docket 1953-070-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “School desegregation”
- Brown v. Board of Education of TopekaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
- Lucy v. Adams
- Florida ex Rel. Hawkins v. Board of Control of Florida
- Briggs v. Elliott
- Pennsylvania v. Board of Directors of City Trusts of the City of Philadelphia
Cases on the same legal provision: Fifth Amendment (equal protection)
- Woods v. Cloyd W. Miller Co.
- Richardson v. Belcher
- United States v. Kras
- Frontiero et Vir v. RichardsonLaw held unconstitutional
- Morton v. Mancari
- Jimenez v. WeinbergerLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Tom We Shung v. Brownell
- International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union v. Boyd
- United States ex Rel. Accardi v. Shaughnessy
- Hernandez v. Texas
- Brown v. Board of Education of TopekaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Galvan v. Press
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