Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange County
368 U.S. 278 · Decided December 11, 1961 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange County was decided on December 11, 1961 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice Potter Stewart 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
- 368 U.S. 278 · 82 S. Ct. 275 · 7 L. Ed. 2d 285 · 1961 U.S. LEXIS 29
- Docket number
- 72
- Decided
- December 11, 1961
- Argued
- October 16, 1961
- Court era
- Warren Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Potter Stewart
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Loyalty oath, teachers
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- 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 | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Felix Frankfurter | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Concurrence | Co-authored an opinion |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Charles E. Whittaker | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Cramp v. Board of Public Instruction of Orange County
SCDB identifiers: case 1961-013, docket 1961-013-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Loyalty oath, teachers”
- Keyishian v. Board of Regents of the University of the State of New YorkAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Slochower v. Board of Higher Education of New York CityLaw held unconstitutional
- Wieman v. UpdegraffLaw held unconstitutional
- Connell v. HigginbothamLaw held unconstitutional
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (due process)
- Garner v. Louisiana
- Western Union Telegraph Co. v. Pennsylvania
- Oyler v. Boles
- Beck v. Washington
- In re Green
- Culombe v. Connecticut
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Killian v. United States
- Nostrand v. Little
- Russell v. United States
- Grumman v. United States
- Wood v. Georgia
- Engel v. Vitale
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