The History of the Case

In the year of 1973, Allan Bakke, a Caucasian male decided to apply to the University of California Medical School at Davis located in Sacramento, California. He was denied not only once, but twice for he reapplied the following year (1974).

To understand why Bakke was denied, you must first recognize the two admissions programs for which the school had organized. The first program was for regular admissions students. To be set into this category, you were given a "benchmark score." This score was tallied up by the committee members. The score itself was based upon interview summaries, overall grade point average, Medial College Admissions Test (MCAT) scores, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. The benchmark score was rated on a scale from 1 to 100, for each committee member (five in 1973 and six in 1974). The second program was the special admissions program. It was for students who fell under the 2.5 grade point average. In a class of 100, 16 spaces were reserved for students of minority ethnic background (blacks, Chicanos, Asians, American Indians). In a sense, the reserved spots were a part of Affirmative Action to make up for previous unjust treatment of minority groups.

Allan Bakke had an overall score of 468 out 500 in the year of 1973. At the time, they were not admitting anyone with a score under 470. But still there were four spaces available in the special admissions program. In 1974, Bakke had a total score of 549 out of 600. In neither year, was he placed on a waiting list for future admissions or references. In both years, special applicants were admitted while their scores were immensely lower than that of Allan Bakke.

After his second rejection from Davis, Bakke filed for a lawsuit in a trial court; claiming that they had gone against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The trial court took place in the Superior Court of Yolo County, California in 1974. They ruled that the special admissions program acted as a racial quota and violated the federal and state constitution. Although, they found the program to be wrong, Bakke was not admitted his acceptance to the school because of purposes where he could not have proved his admission without the special admissions policy's existence.

This case was then taken to the Supreme Court of California in 1976. They agreed with the Superior Court and decided that the special admissions proram was unconstitutional. The State Supreme Court that it would be fair that Allan Bakke was admitted to the medical school.

Afterwards, the case was once again taken to a higher level of justice-The Supreme Court of the United States. In the end, Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. wrote the final opinion and judgment of the court. He announced that the special admissions program was unconstitutional to an extent. It was ruled that race could be a factor in the apllication process. For its use, to broaden the diversity of the school, but not as the deciding factor in the students admission to the school.