Pennsylvania College Cases
Encyclopedia
The Pennsylvania College Cases, also known as Trustees of Jefferson College in Canonsburg v. Washington and Jefferson College, was a United States Supreme Court case that was decided in 1871. Justice Nathan Clifford
wrote the opinion, ruling in favor of Washington & Jefferson College
.
In 1865, two colleges in Washington County, Pennsylvania
, Jefferson College in Canonsburg
and Washington College in Washington
merged to form Washington & Jefferson College
, which maintained two campuses, one in each of the towns.
That arrangement failed, and in 1869, the trustees voted to consolidate the two campuses in Washington.
Shortly thereafter, a number of Canonsburg residents and dissident trustees of Jefferson College sued, claiming that the consolidation was unconstitutional. They argued that the original 1802 charter for Jefferson College had been illegally usurped in the process.
Specifically, they argued that the provision in the reading "shall not be altered or alterable by any ordinance or law of the said trustees, not in any other manner than by an act of the legislature of the Commonwealth" prohibited such a move. Their lawsuit went to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where the court ruled on January 3, 1870, that the consolidation had been done in a legal manner. The Jefferson College partisans appealed to the United States Supreme Court, saying that the consolidation had been contrary to the United States Constitution
. The court ruled otherwise, and upheld the consolidation in a December 1871 opinion written by Justice Nathan Clifford
.
Nathan Clifford
Nathan Clifford was an American statesman, diplomat and jurist.Clifford was born of old Yankee stock in Rumney, New Hampshire, to farmers, the only son of seven children He attended the public schools of that town, then the Haverhill Academy in New...
wrote the opinion, ruling in favor of Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
.
In 1865, two colleges in Washington County, Pennsylvania
Washington County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...
, Jefferson College in Canonsburg
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania
Canonsburg is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, southwest of Pittsburgh. Canonsburg was laid out by Colonel John Canon in 1789 and incorporated in 1802....
and Washington College in Washington
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh Metro Area in the southwestern part of the state...
merged to form Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, also known as W & J College or W&J, is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is south of Pittsburgh...
, which maintained two campuses, one in each of the towns.
That arrangement failed, and in 1869, the trustees voted to consolidate the two campuses in Washington.
Shortly thereafter, a number of Canonsburg residents and dissident trustees of Jefferson College sued, claiming that the consolidation was unconstitutional. They argued that the original 1802 charter for Jefferson College had been illegally usurped in the process.
Specifically, they argued that the provision in the reading "shall not be altered or alterable by any ordinance or law of the said trustees, not in any other manner than by an act of the legislature of the Commonwealth" prohibited such a move. Their lawsuit went to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, where the court ruled on January 3, 1870, that the consolidation had been done in a legal manner. The Jefferson College partisans appealed to the United States Supreme Court, saying that the consolidation had been contrary to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. The court ruled otherwise, and upheld the consolidation in a December 1871 opinion written by Justice Nathan Clifford
Nathan Clifford
Nathan Clifford was an American statesman, diplomat and jurist.Clifford was born of old Yankee stock in Rumney, New Hampshire, to farmers, the only son of seven children He attended the public schools of that town, then the Haverhill Academy in New...
.