Individuals Involved

The case of Regents of University of California v. Bakke has had a great impact on today and how we go along with our lives presently. It has changed peoples opinions on affirmative action along with how we think about race. Before we can explain the actual case and go into depth on the impact its had on society, we must take a look at the individuals who were involved.

Allan Bakke

Bakke was a Caucasian male, age 35 at the time of his requests to attend the Medical School at Davis. Previous to that he served four years in the military and went to college on an ROTC scholarship. Allan was born in Minnesota but grew up in Florida, where the schools were segregated. Allan had seen unjust done to other races before, and when he was on the other end of the unjust, he took a stand against it.

                                                                                                                                  Allan Bakke

 First I would like to address the four supreme court justices who were against the Regents of the University of California.

William J. Brennan

Brennan was born and raised in New Jersey. He completed his law degree at Harvard and was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1956 by President Eisenhower. He has written important opinions about free expression, criminal procedure, and reappointment. In this particular case, Brennan co-authored a dissent written against the Regents of the University of California.

Byron White

White was born and raised in Colorado. He attended the University of California, then won a Rhode Scholarship to Oxford, and returned to complete his law degree at Yale. President John F. Kennedy selected White for a position on the Supreme Court. White wrote a dissent and joined another dissent in the case of Regents of U of CA v. Bakke.

Thurgood Marshall

Marshall was born and raised in Baltimore. He attended Lincoln University and went to Howard University to study law. He was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in 1967 by President Johnson. He was the first black to serve on the Court. He joined another dissent, and who his own is this case.

Harry A. Blackmun

Blackmun was born in Illinois but raised in Minnesota. He was childhood friends with Warren Burger who also worked on this case. He went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in mathematics and then completed his law degree. He was appointed by President Nixon after two other of the Presidents' nominees rejected the request.

Now, the important facts of four of the Supreme Court Justices who were for the Regents of the University of California in the legal provision of Equal Protection.

Warren E. Burger

Burger was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He made his way through college and law school. He was appointed by President Nixon in 1969 as Chief Justice. He wrote an important opinion which in end resulted in President Nixon's resignation. Burger voted with the majority for the University of California and joined the concurrence of Stevens.

Potter Stewart

Stewart was born on January 23rd, 1915. He was the son of the Republican mayor of Cincinnati. He is remembered for his concurrence written in the case Jocbellis v. Ohio. It was a case about pornography, and when he could not formulate a definition of pornography, he said, "I know it when I see it." He would often vote with liberal justices on First Amendment issues, but in matters of equal protection, he would side with conservative justices. He joined Stevens' concurrence, and voted with the majority in this case.

William H. Rehnquist

Rehnquist was born in Wisconsin. He served in the United States Air Force and upon his return he attended Harvard, and graduated top of his class at Stanford Law School. He was appointed by President Nixon in 1972. He was said to be a racist and was not accepted immediately. Soon he won the respect of his colleagues when he voted with the liberals for such ideas of gay rights and free speech. He joined the concurrence written by Stevens and voted with the majority.

John Paul Stevens

Stevens was born in Illinois. He went to the University of Chicago. He then enlisted in the Navy during World War II. Afterword, he went to Northwestern University Law School. Stevens was well known throughout the legal system, and when the proposal was made that he be appointed to the Supreme Court, he was filled with pride. He examines the facts of each case very carefully and seeks the best decision for the case. In this particular case, Stevens wrote his own concurrence. Rehnquist, Stewart, and Burger joined this concurrence.

The final judgement of the case was written by Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr.

Powell was born in Virginia and worked hard against the definite and strong demands to resist racial desegragation. Powell's vote was the deciding vote in the Court's first confrontation with abortion as well as affirmative action. In this case, he wrote an opinion which decided what the final decision was. He was for, and against the Regents of the University of California in a sense that he thought it was wrong but still could be apart of the admissions program.