Phillips Chemical Co. v. Dumas Independent School District
361 U.S. 376 · Decided February 23, 1960 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Phillips Chemical Co. v. Dumas Independent School District was decided on February 23, 1960 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “National supremacy, state tax” in the Federalism area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 361 U.S. 376 · 80 S. Ct. 474 · 4 L. Ed. 2d 384 · 1960 U.S. LEXIS 1600
- Docket number
- 40
- Decided
- February 23, 1960
- Argued
- November 17, 1959
- Court era
- Warren 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
- Earl Warren
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- National supremacy, state tax
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Special concurrence | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority |
Full case caption
Phillips Chemical Co. v. Dumas Independent School District
SCDB identifiers: case 1959-030, docket 1959-030-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “National supremacy, state tax”
- Pekao Trading Corp. v. Bragalini
- Michigan National Bank v. Michigan
- Humble Pipe Line Co. v. Waggonner
- Department of Revenue v. James B. Beam Distilling Co.Law held unconstitutional
- Sullivan v. United States
- United States v. State Tax Commission of Mississippi
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Douglas v. Green
- Lassiter v. Northampton County Board of Elections
- Allied Stores of Ohio, Inc. v. Bowers
- Smith v. Bennett
- Burton v. Wilmington Parking Authority
- Anderson v. Alabama.
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Superior Court of Washington for King County v. Washington ex Rel. Yellow Cab Service, Inc.
- Huron Portland Cement Co. v. City of Detroit
- Local 24 v. Oliver
- United States v. Louisiana
- United States v. Florida
- De Veau v. Braisted
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