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Judicial Issues — Dartmouth College Case

Since 1894, the U.S. Postal Service has issued nearly 30 postage stamps featuring Justices, prominent cases, famous advocates before the Court, and the Supreme Court Building. September 22, 1969, marked the issue of the 6-cent Dartmouth College Case stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case, Dartmouth College  v. Woodward (1819).

Today, the case remains an important ruling dealing with private charters and attempts by states to impair contractual obligations. The charter in question involved Dartmouth College, a private institution in New Hampshire originally chartered by the British government before the American Revolution. In 1816, the state legislature altered the charter so that the school might become a public institution, rather than a private one. The State of New Hampshire contended that the changes were permissible because the Dartmouth Charter was a public grant for the purposes of educating youth and encouraging the arts and sciences, so, accordingly, it could be revoked or modified by the state legislature. The Trustees of Dartmouth College contended that the state did not have the authority to alter the charter.

In a 5 to 1 decision, the Court ruled in favor of Dartmouth, holding that the charter was protected under the Contract Clause of the U. S. Constitution. Chief Justice John Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.