Wissner v. Wissner
338 U.S. 655 · Decided February 6, 1950 · 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
Wissner v. Wissner was decided on February 6, 1950 by a vote of 5–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Tom C. Clark wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation” in the Federalism area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 338 U.S. 655 · 70 S. Ct. 398 · 94 L. Ed. 2d 424 · 1950 U.S. LEXIS 2469
- Docket number
- 119
- Decided
- February 6, 1950
- Argued
- December 6, 1949
- 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
- 5–3
- Majority opinion
- Tom C. Clark
- Opinion assigned by
- Fred M. Vinson
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue area
- Federalism
- Legal provision
- 38 U.S.C. § 801
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- 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 | Dissent | |
| Justice Robert H. Jackson | Dissent | |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Did not participate: William O. Douglas.
Full case caption
Wissner et al. v. Wissner
SCDB identifiers: case 1949-041, docket 1949-041-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Federal preemption of state legislation or regulation”
- New Jersey Realty Title Insurance Co. v. Division of Tax Appeals of New Jersey
- International Union of United Automobile, Etc. Workers of America, C. I. O. v. O'Brien
- Callaway v. Benton
- Amalgamated Association of Street v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board
- Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. v. Public Service Commission of Indiana
- Rice v. Santa Fe Elevator Corp.
Cases on the same legal provision: 38 U.S.C. § 801
Same Term, same area (Federalism)
- Regents of the University System of Georgia v. Carroll
- New Jersey Realty Title Insurance Co. v. Division of Tax Appeals of New Jersey
- United States v. Burnison
- Slocum v. Delaware
- Order of Railway Conductors of America v. Southern Railway Co.
- International Union of United Automobile, Etc. Workers of America, C. I. O. v. O'Brien
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