Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc.
348 U.S. 483 · Decided March 28, 1955 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Williamson v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. was decided on March 28, 1955 unanimously (8–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice William O. Douglas wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “State or local business regulation” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 348 U.S. 483 · 75 S. Ct. 461 · 99 L. Ed. 2d 563 · 1955 U.S. LEXIS 1003
- Docket number
- 184
- Decided
- March 28, 1955
- Argued
- March 2, 1955
- 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
- 8–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- William O. Douglas
- Opinion assigned by
- Earl Warren
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- State or local business regulation
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- 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 | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harold H. Burton | Majority | |
| Justice Tom C. Clark | Majority | |
| Justice Sherman Minton | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Earl Warren | Majority |
Did not participate: John M. Harlan II.
Full case caption
Williamson, Attorney General of Oklahoma, et al. v. Lee Optical of Oklahoma, Inc. et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1954-046, docket 1954-046-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “State or local business regulation”
- Morey v. DoudLaw held unconstitutional
- Lloyd A. Fry Roofing Co. v. Wood
- Gordon v. Texas.
- Buck v. California
- Breard v. Alexandria
- Standard Oil Co. v. New Jersey
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
- Williams v. Georgia
- Watson et Ux. v. Employers Liability Assurance Corporation, Ltd.
- Michel v. Louisiana
- Brown v. Board of Education of TopekaAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
- Hernandez v. Texas
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- McAllister v. United States
- Watson et Ux. v. Employers Liability Assurance Corporation, Ltd.
- Moore v. Mead's Fine Bread Co.
- Cox v. Roth
- United States v. Shubert
- United States v. International Boxing Club of New York, Inc.
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