United States v. Penn-Olin Chemical Co.
389 U.S. 308 · Decided December 11, 1967 · 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
United States v. Penn-Olin Chemical Co. was decided on December 11, 1967 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Mergers” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 389 U.S. 308 · 88 S. Ct. 502 · 19 L. Ed. 2d 545 · 1967 U.S. LEXIS 2959
- Docket number
- 26
- Decided
- December 11, 1967
- Argued
- December 7, 1967
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Mergers
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Equally divided vote | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Abe Fortas | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: Thurgood Marshall.
Full case caption
United States v. Penn-Olin Chemical Co. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1967-036, docket 1967-036-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Mergers”
- City of Pottsville v. United States
- United States v. Third National Bank in Nashville
- Securities and Exchange Commission v. New England Electric System
- Oscar Gruss & Son v. United States
- Federal Trade Commission v. Procter & Gamble Co.
- United States v. First City National Bank of Houston
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Wyandotte Transportation Co. v. United States
- Burke v. Ford
- Tcherepnin v. Knight
- Case-Swayne Co., Inc. v. Sunkist Growers, Inc.
- City of Pottsville v. United States
- Albrecht v. Herald Co.
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