Heman Sweatt Campus
historical marker
In Austin, Travis County, Texas, a historical marker at the Heman Sweatt Campus was dedicated on April 15, 1988. The University of Texas at Austin erected it in 1988, honoring Heman Marion Sweatt, who lived from 1912 to 1982. Heman Marion Sweatt, an African-American civil rights activist, was denied admission to The University of Texas School of Law in 1946 due to his race. With NAACP support, Sweatt filed a lawsuit. In June 1950, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in *Sweatt v. Painter*. This decision found that separate law school facilities were unequal, challenging the "separate but equal" doctrine and setting a precedent for desegregation in higher education. Sweatt enrolled in the UT School of Law in September 1950. The University of Texas System Board of Regents officially renamed the historic "Little Campus" to the "Heman Sweatt Campus" on August 13, 1987. This site marks Sweatt's pivotal role in civil rights and the desegregation of American higher education.