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Supreme Court · Decisions

Thompson, Trustee, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. v. United States et al.

343 U.S. 549 · No. 513 · 1951 term · Vinson Court

Decided Jun 2, 1952 · argued Apr 23, 1952

Economic activity · Federal or state regulation of transportation regulation: railroad

Majority opinion: Frederick Vinson

The voteMajority

9–09 in the majority, 0 in dissent

No dissent (9–0)

Reversed. Thompson, Trustee, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. won.

What this ruling means

Reversed: the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Missouri Eastern U.S. District Court, and its own ruling ends the case.

Thompson, Trustee, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. was the petitioner, the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the case. “Won” means the Court gave that side the result it asked for.

From the Supreme Court Database. A justice who agreed with the result but not the reasoning counts in the majority.

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Summary

The opening of the case’s Wikipedia article: what the case was about and what the Court held.

Wikipedia has no article on this case, so there is no summary.

Data notes

The text is Wikipedia’s (CC BY-SA 4.0), matched to the case by its citation, docket number or name and year, and is not checked against the opinion. The site keeps the article’s opening section, ending on its last full sentence. The one-sentence summary under the title is the Decisions list’s: Wikipedia’s own ruling sentence, or, tagged “AI-written”, one Claude wrote from this opening.

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How the justices voted

Each justice who took part, placed by their Martin–Quinn ideology score for the 1951 term. Filled: the 9 in the majority. Hollow: the 0 in dissent. Colour is the party of the president who appointed them.

More liberalMore conservativeMedianDouglasBlackFrankfurterR. JacksonBurtonClarkReedMintonVinson

Majority(9)

Dissent(0)

  • None.
Data notes

Each justice’s vote and what they wrote are from the justice-centered file of the Supreme Court Database. “Wrote a concurrence” means the justice sided with the majority and wrote separately; a justice who dissented in part is counted on the side they took overall. A justice who wrote nothing is listed as joining their side.

Positions are each justice’s Martin–Quinn score for the case’s term, the same scores as the Ideology page: negative is more liberal, positive more conservative. A score sums up a justice’s votes across the whole term, so it says where they usually sit, not why they voted as they did here. The median line is the Court’s median justice that term.

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The parties

Who brought the case to the Court, who answered it, and how it got there.

Petitioner
Thompson, Trustee, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.Railroad
Respondent
United States et al.United States
Reached the Court by
Appeal (the Court was required to hear it)
Data notes

The names are the two sides of the case’s title. The description under each is the Supreme Court Database’s category for that party, in its own wording. The petitioner is the side that asked the Supreme Court to review the decision below. “Why it was taken” appears only when the majority opinion says lower courts disagreed or were unsure about the question; reasons that would fit any case (“to resolve the question presented”, “an important question”) are left out.

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The law at issue

The law the Court was asked to apply, and the kind of power it used to decide.

Provision
Interstate Commerce, as amended
Kind of law
Federal Statute
Decided by
Interpretation of administrative regulation or rule, or executive order; Statutory construction
Data notes

The Supreme Court Database codes the main constitutional provision, statute or court rule each case turned on, and the basis of the decision: judicial review of a federal or state law, interpreting a statute, supervising the lower courts, and so on. A case can rest on more than one. “Overruled” counts only where the majority opinion says so.

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Timeline

What happened at the Court and how the case got there, newest first.

  1. Jun 2, 1952DecidedDecided · Decided 9–0: reversed. Thompson, Trustee, Missouri Pacific Railroad Co. won.
  2. Apr 23, 1952ArguedArgued · Oral argument before the Court.
  3. Not datedTaken upTaken up · Reached the Supreme Court on appeal, which the Court had to hear.
  4. Not datedCourt belowCourt below · Began in and was decided by the Missouri Eastern U.S. District Court: affirmed, with a dissent.
Data notes

From the Supreme Court Database: the court the case began in, the court whose decision the Supreme Court reviewed and what that court did, how the case came to the Court, and the dates of argument and decision. The database does not date the steps in the lower courts. Court names are the database’s.

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Other decisions on the same issue

43 other argued cases since 1946 on federal or state regulation of transportation regulation: railroad, newest first.

  1. Dot v. Ass'n of Am. R.R.575 U.S. 43Mar 9, 2015 · 575 U.S. 43Economic activity9–0Unanimous band

  2. Norfolk & Western Railway Company et al. v. American Train Dispatchers' Association et al.499 U.S. 117Mar 19, 1991 · 499 U.S. 117Economic activity7–27–2 band
  3. Interstate Commerce Commission v. Texas et al.479 U.S. 450Jan 20, 1987 · 479 U.S. 450Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  4. National Railroad Passenger Corporation v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. et al.470 U.S. 451Mar 18, 1985 · 470 U.S. 451Economic activity8–0Unanimous band
  5. Southern Pacific Transportation Co. v. Commercial Metals Co.456 U.S. 336Apr 27, 1982 · 456 U.S. 336Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  6. Interstate Commerce Commission v. Oregon Pacific Industries, Inc., et al.420 U.S. 184Feb 19, 1975 · 420 U.S. 184Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  7. National Railroad Passenger Corp. et al. v. National Association of Railroad Passengers414 U.S. 453Jan 9, 1974 · 414 U.S. 453Economic activity7–18–1 band
  8. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. et al. v. Wichita Board of Trade et al.412 U.S. 800Jun 18, 1973 · 412 U.S. 800Economic activity5–36–3 band
  9. United States et al. v. Allegheny-Ludlum Steel Corp. et al.406 U.S. 742Jun 7, 1972 · 406 U.S. 742Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  10. Norfolk & Western Railroad Co. v. Nemitz et al.404 U.S. 37Nov 15, 1971 · 404 U.S. 37Economic activity4–36–3 band
  11. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. et al. v. Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Co. et al.393 U.S. 87Nov 12, 1968 · 393 U.S. 87Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  12. American Commercial Lines, Inc., et al. v. Louisville & Nashville Railroad Co. et al.392 U.S. 571Jun 17, 1968 · 392 U.S. 571Economic activity8–18–1 band
  13. Interstate Commerce Commission v. Atlantic Coast Line R. Co. et al.383 U.S. 576Mar 22, 1966 · 383 U.S. 576Economic activity8–0Unanimous band
  14. Western Pacific Railroad Co. et al. v. United States et al.382 U.S. 237Dec 7, 1965 · 382 U.S. 237Economic activity8–18–1 band
  15. Chicago & North Western Railway Co. v. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. et al.380 U.S. 448Apr 5, 1965 · 380 U.S. 448Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  16. A. L. Mechling Barge Lines, Inc., et al. v. United States et al.376 U.S. 375Mar 23, 1964 · 376 U.S. 375Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  17. Interstate Commerce Commission v. New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co. et al.372 U.S. 744Apr 22, 1963 · 372 U.S. 744Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  18. Arrow Transportation Co. et al. v. Southern Railway Co. et al.372 U.S. 658Apr 15, 1963 · 372 U.S. 658Economic activity6–36–3 band
  19. New Jersey et al. v. New York, Susquehanna & Western Railroad Co.372 U.S. 1Feb 18, 1963 · 372 U.S. 1Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  20. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. v. United States et al.366 U.S. 745Jun 5, 1961 · 366 U.S. 745Economic activity6–27–2 band
  21. H. K. Porter Co., Inc., et al. v. Central Vermont Railway, Inc., et al.366 U.S. 272May 22, 1961 · 366 U.S. 272Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  22. Union Pacific Railroad Co. v. United States362 U.S. 327Apr 4, 1960 · 362 U.S. 327Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  23. United States v. Seaboard Air Line Railroad Co.361 U.S. 78Nov 9, 1959 · 361 U.S. 78Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  24. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. v. Illinois et al.355 U.S. 300Jan 13, 1958 · 355 U.S. 300Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  25. California v. Taylor et al.353 U.S. 553Jun 3, 1957 · 353 U.S. 553Economic activity8–0Unanimous band
  26. Alleghany Corporation et al. v. Breswick & Co. et al.353 U.S. 151Apr 22, 1957 · 353 U.S. 151Economic activity5–36–3 band
  27. United States v. Interstate Commerce Commission et al.352 U.S. 158Dec 17, 1956 · 352 U.S. 158Economic activity6–27–2 band
  28. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co. v. Union Pacific Railroad Co. et al.351 U.S. 321Jun 11, 1956 · 351 U.S. 321Economic activity7–27–2 band
  29. Dixie Carriers, Inc., et al. v. United States et al.351 U.S. 56Apr 23, 1956 · 351 U.S. 56Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  30. Secretary of Agriculture v. United States et al.347 U.S. 645Jun 7, 1954 · 347 U.S. 645Economic activity5–36–3 band
  31. United States et al. v. Great Northern Railway Co.343 U.S. 562Jun 2, 1952 · 343 U.S. 562Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  32. Swift & Company v. United States et al.343 U.S. 373May 5, 1952 · 343 U.S. 373Economic activity6–36–3 band
  33. Railway Labor Executives' Association v. United States et al.339 U.S. 142Mar 27, 1950 · 339 U.S. 142Economic activity4–36–3 band
  34. United States v. Jones, Receiver336 U.S. 641Apr 18, 1949 · 336 U.S. 641Economic activity7–0Unanimous band
  35. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co. et al. v. Acme Fast Freight, Inc.336 U.S. 465Apr 4, 1949 · 336 U.S. 465Economic activity6–36–3 band
  36. Ayrshire Collieries Corp. et al. v. United States et al.335 U.S. 573Jan 3, 1949 · 335 U.S. 573Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  37. United States v. South Buffalo Railway Co. et al.333 U.S. 771Apr 26, 1948 · 333 U.S. 771Economic activity5–45–4 band
  38. United States et al. v. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co. et al.333 U.S. 169Mar 8, 1948 · 333 U.S. 169Economic activity8–18–1 band
  39. New York et al. v. United States et al.331 U.S. 284May 12, 1947 · 331 U.S. 284Economic activity7–27–2 band
  40. Northern Pacific Railway Co. v. United States330 U.S. 248Mar 3, 1947 · 330 U.S. 248Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
  41. United States v. Powell et al., Receivers330 U.S. 238Mar 3, 1947 · 330 U.S. 238Economic activity8–18–1 band
  42. Insurance Group Committee et al. v. Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad Co. et al.329 U.S. 607Feb 3, 1947 · 329 U.S. 607Economic activity8–18–1 band
  43. Krug, Secretary of the Interior, et al. v. Santa Fe Pacific Railroad Co.329 U.S. 591Feb 3, 1947 · 329 U.S. 591Economic activity9–0Unanimous band
Data notes

Every other orally argued case with a clear vote, from the 1946 term on, that the Supreme Court Database files under the same issue as this one. The database gives each case one issue from a list of about 270 (abortion, search and seizure of vehicles, the death penalty, and so on), whatever law it turned on.

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Official record

Read the full opinion on Justia. Case data from the Supreme Court Database, Version 2026 Release 01, through the 2025 term.