Gregory Swanson

Gregory Swanson
JD, B.Soc.Sc.
Photograph of Gregory Swanson consulting the Assistant Dean
Gregory Swanson "consults with the assistant dean of the law school after registering for classes on September 15, 1950."
Born 1924
Danville, Virginia
Died July 26, 1992
Nationality American
Alma mater
Occupation Practicing attorney[1]
Years active 1961 – 1984
Employer Internal Revenue Service
Known for being the first African-American to attend the University of Virginia.
Home town Danville, Virginia

Gregory Hayes Swanson, JD, B.Soc.Sc. (born 1924 in Danville, Virginia).[2] Swanson was the first African American to attend the University of Virginia (UVa). He was a practicing attorney from his hometown Danville, Virginia. He was a graduate of Howard University with Bachelor's degrees in political science and law. His desire was to study corporation law and insurance at the University of Virginia, but his first application to the University was rejected in 1950 by the Board of Visitors, who ruled that his admission would violate the Constitution.[3] Swanson won acceptance to the university in September 1950 through a landmark court case Swanson v. Rector of Visitors.[4] Chief Justice John J. Parker of the Fourth United States Circuit Court of Appeals, Federal District Judge John Paul, and Circuit Appeals Judge Morris A. Soper presided over a special three-judge court.[5] Swanson was represented by Thurgood Marshall during his case.[6] This case laid the foundation for desegregation at UVa as well as Brown v. Board of Education[7]. In July 1951, after completing one year at UVa, Swanson withdrew the University "due to what he described as an overwhelming climate of racial hostility and harassment."[2] He then went on to practice law in Martinsville and Alexandria, Virginia. And in 1961, he joined the legal staff of the IRS and continued there up until his retirement in 1984. He died in 1992.[1][2]

In 2016, Swanson's historic court victory was commemorated with the installation of a plaque at the former courthouse, now the current downtown location of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Gregory Swanson, first African American admitted to the University of Virginia". Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 "Gregory Swanson, First African-American Admitted to UVA (1950)". www.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-04.
  3. ↑ "Formulate Plan of Action Anticipating Court Legislation". Charlottesville Tribune. 11 August 1950.
  4. 1 2 Amhara, Cherney. "Plaque honors a man who broke through racial barriers". Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  5. ↑ "Court to Hear Swanson Petition". Charlottesville Tribune. 25 Aug 1950.
  6. ↑ Williamson, Eric. "'Justice Starts Right Here': Remembering Gregory Swanson, UVA and UVA Law's First Black Student". UVA Lawyer. University of Virginia School of Law. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
  7. ↑ QUIZON, DEREK. "UVa case, 'a triumph,' commemorated at city library". The Daily Progress. Retrieved 2018-03-31.

  • "Gregory Swanson, first African American admitted to the University of Virginia". Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  • "Gregory Swanson, First African-American Admitted to UVA (1950)". www.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2015-11-04.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.