Murray v. Pearson (1935) | Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect

Murray v. Pearson (1935) was Thurgood Marshall’s first civil rights victory. Alongside NAACP attorney Charles Hamilton Houston, he successfully challenged the University of Maryland Law School’s exclusion of Black students, forcing the school to admit Donald Gaines Murray.

Marshall himself had been denied admission to the same law school in 1930 because of his race. This injustice fueled his lifelong fight against segregation and his drive to reshape American law to ensure equal access to education.