Lloyd L. Gaines
Encyclopedia
Lloyd Lionel Gaines was the central figure in Gaines v. Canada (1938), one of the most important court cases in the U.S. civil rights movement
in the 1930s.
Gaines was a valedictorian
at Vashon High School
and graduated with honors from Lincoln University
in Jefferson City
, Missouri
, with a Bachelor's degree in history. When he applied in 1936 for admission to the Law School at the University of Missouri
, he was rejected. In April, the university denied his admission on grounds of race. Missouri's policy was to pay the expenses for education of such black students out of state.
Gaines and his lawyer, Charles Hamilton Houston
, took their case to court. After the Boone County
court and Missouri Supreme Court
both ruled in favor of the university, they proceeded to the United States Supreme Court. Gaines v. Canada was argued on November 9, 1938. It was the most important segregation case since Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896).
Sy Woodson Canada was the registrar at the University of Missouri School of Law
then. In a 1978 interview for National Public Radio, the 80-year-old Canada revealed that his superiors at the University had instructed him to deny admission to Gaines. Canada recalled that Gaines met all the admissions requirements "except he was colored."
On December 12, 1938, the Supreme Court, in a 6-2 decision, ordered the State of Missouri either to admit Gaines to the University of Missouri or provide another school of equal stature within the state borders. Gaines never got to attend law school, but his case articulated an important rule of law in the sequence of NAACP cases leading to the eventual desegregation order: that any academic program that a state provided to whites had to have an equivalent available to blacks.
Gaines was a member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha
. On the night of March 19, 1939, Gaines left the fraternity house in Chicago, Illinois, telling others he was going out to buy stamps. He was never seen again.
American Civil Rights Movement (1896-1954)
The Civil Rights Movement in the United States was a long, primarily nonviolent struggle to bring full civil rights and equality under the law to all Americans...
in the 1930s.
Gaines was a valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
at Vashon High School
Vashon High School
-Vashon High School:Vashon High School is a public high school located in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1927, the school is named in honor of two educators of African-American descent: John B. Vashon, and his son, George B. Vashon....
and graduated with honors from Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Missouri)
Lincoln University, a historically black college, is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. In 2007, according to U.S. News and World Report, Lincoln University was ranked #3 for economic diversity, #5 for campus ethnic diversity, and #9 for most international students among master's level...
in Jefferson City
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, with a Bachelor's degree in history. When he applied in 1936 for admission to the Law School at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, he was rejected. In April, the university denied his admission on grounds of race. Missouri's policy was to pay the expenses for education of such black students out of state.
Gaines and his lawyer, Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston
Charles Hamilton Houston was an African American lawyer, Dean of Howard University Law School and NAACP Litigation Director who played a significant role in dismantling the Jim Crow laws and trained future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.Houston was born in Washington, D.C. His father...
, took their case to court. After the Boone County
Boone County, Missouri
Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...
court and Missouri Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Missouri
The Supreme Court of Missouri is the highest court in the state of Missouri. It was established in 1820, and is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. Missouri voters have approved changes in the state's constitution to give the Supreme Court exclusive jurisdiction- the sole legal power to hear -...
both ruled in favor of the university, they proceeded to the United States Supreme Court. Gaines v. Canada was argued on November 9, 1938. It was the most important segregation case since Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 , is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial segregation in private businesses , under the doctrine of "separate but equal".The decision was handed...
(1896).
Sy Woodson Canada was the registrar at the University of Missouri School of Law
University of Missouri School of Law
University of Missouri School of Law is the law school of the University of Missouri, a state university in the U.S. State of Missouri. It is located on the university's main campus in Columbia, forty minutes from the Missouri State Capitol and Supreme Court in Jefferson City...
then. In a 1978 interview for National Public Radio, the 80-year-old Canada revealed that his superiors at the University had instructed him to deny admission to Gaines. Canada recalled that Gaines met all the admissions requirements "except he was colored."
On December 12, 1938, the Supreme Court, in a 6-2 decision, ordered the State of Missouri either to admit Gaines to the University of Missouri or provide another school of equal stature within the state borders. Gaines never got to attend law school, but his case articulated an important rule of law in the sequence of NAACP cases leading to the eventual desegregation order: that any academic program that a state provided to whites had to have an equivalent available to blacks.
Gaines was a member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
. On the night of March 19, 1939, Gaines left the fraternity house in Chicago, Illinois, telling others he was going out to buy stamps. He was never seen again.
Legacy and honors
- 2001 - The University of Missouri-Columbia renamed its Black Culture Center in Gaines' honor.
- UMC Law School offers a scholarship in Gaines' name.
- 2006 - Gaines was posthumously granted an honorary law degree by the University of Missouri.
- 2006 - The Supreme Court of Missouri named him an honorary member of the Missouri Bar.