A Negro, concededly qualified to receive professional legal
education offered by a State, cannot be denied such education
because of her color. The State must provide such education for her
in conformity with the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment, and provide it as soon as it does for applicants of any
other group. Pp.
332 U. S.
632-633.
199 Okla. 36,
180 P.2d 135,
reversed.
The Supreme Court of Oklahoma affirmed a denial by an inferior
state court of a writ of mandamus to require
Page 332 U. S. 632
admission of a qualified Negro applicant to a state law school.
199 Okla. 36,
180 P.2d 135.
This Court granted certiorari. 332 U.S. 814.
Reversed, p.
332 U. S. 633.
PER CURIAM.
On January 14, 1946, the petitioner, a Negro, concededly
qualified to receive the professional legal education offered by
the State, applied for admission to the School of Law of the
University of Oklahoma, the only institution for legal education
supported and maintained by the taxpayers of the Oklahoma.
Petitioner's application for admission was denied solely because of
her color.
Petitioner then made application for a writ of mandamus in the
District Court of Cleveland County, Oklahoma. The writ of mandamus
was refused, and the Supreme Court of the Oklahoma affirmed the
judgment of the District Court.
180 P.2d 135.
We brought the case here for review.
The petitioner is entitled to secure legal education afforded by
a state institution. To this time, it has been denied her although,
during the same period, many
Page 332 U. S. 633
white applicants have been afforded legal education by the
State. The State must provide it for her in conformity with the
equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, and provide it
as soon as it does for applicants of any other group.
Missouri
ex rel. Gaines v. Canada, 305 U. S. 337.
The judgment of the Supreme Court of Oklahoma is reversed, and
the cause is remanded to that court for proceedings not
inconsistent with this opinion.
The mandate shall issue forthwith.
Reversed.
