The Pool That Changed America: The 1973 Wheaton-Haven Supreme Court Decision

On February 27, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a unanimous decision that strengthened civil rights protections in community facilities. The case focused on the Wheaton-Haven Recreation Association, a nonprofit swimming pool in Wheaton, Maryland, a predominantly white suburb of Washington, D.C.

The association’s policies offered special membership privileges to residents living within three-quarters of a mile of the pool. These included joining without member recommendations, priority on waiting lists, and the ability to transfer membership rights to home buyers. However, these preferences were denied to Black residents within the same area.

The Court’s unanimous ruling declared that suburban swimming clubs cannot refuse membership to Black residents who live in the club’s preferred membership area. This decision expanded upon a 1969 ruling that had required a Virginia community park and pool corporation to stop racial discrimination in property-related matters.

The ruling was particularly significant because it addressed a common practice of using “private club” status to maintain segregated facilities in residential communities. By closing this loophole, the Court made clear that community recreational facilities cannot use their private status to shield racial discrimination when they function as neighborhood amenities.

This landmark case helped establish a crucial precedent for civil rights enforcement and equal access to community facilities, influencing similar cases for decades to come.