Wieman v. Updegraff
344 U.S. 183 · Decided December 15, 1952 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Wieman v. Updegraff was decided on December 15, 1952 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Tom C. Clark wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Loyalty oath, teachers” in the First Amendment area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 344 U.S. 183 · 73 S. Ct. 215 · 97 L. Ed. 2d 216 · 1952 U.S. LEXIS 1430
- Docket number
- 14
- Decided
- December 15, 1952
- Argued
- November 16, 1952
- Court era
- Vinson Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Tom C. Clark
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Loyalty oath, teachers
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- 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 | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Stanley F. Reed | Majority | |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Concurrence | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Special concurrence | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority |
Did not participate: Robert H. Jackson.
Full case caption
Wieman et al. v. Updegraff et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1952-023, docket 1952-023-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Loyalty oath, teachers”
- Slochower v. Board of Higher Education of New York CityLaw held unconstitutional
- Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange CountyLaw held unconstitutional
- Keyishian v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New YorkAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Connell v. HigginbothamLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (speech, press, and assembly)
- Local Union No. 10 v. Graham
- Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia v. Pollak
- Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. WilsonAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Beauharnais v. Illinois
- Adler v. Board of Education of the City of New York
- Superior Films, Inc. v. Department of Education of Ohio
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Kedroff v. Saint Nicholas Cathedral of the Russian Orthodox Church in North AmericaLaw held unconstitutional
- National Labor Relations Board v. Dant
- Fowler v. Rhode IslandLaw held unconstitutional
- Poulos v. New Hampshire
- United States v. Nugent
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