Existing comment:
Warren's Reading Copy of the Brown Opinion, 1954
Chief Justice Earl Warren's reading copy of Brown is annotated in his hand. Warren announced the opinion in the names of each justice, an unprecedented occurrence. The drama was heightened by the widespread prediction that the Court would be divided on the issue. Warren reminded himself to emphasize the decision's unanimity with a marginal notation, "unanimously," which departed from the printed reading copy to declare, "Therefore, we unanimously hold. . . ." In his memoirs, Warren recalled the moment with genuine warmth. "When the word ‘unanimously' was spoken, a wave of emotion swept the room; no words or intentional movement, yet a distinct emotional manifestation that defies description." "Unanimously" was not incorporated into the published version of the opinion, and thus exists only in this manuscript. |