Allan Paul Bakke, born in 1940, became the central figure in a landmark Supreme Court case that challenged affirmative action policies in higher education. A white male, Bakke applied to twelve medical schools in 1973, having already established a notable academic and professional background. His journey to medical school was marked by rejections, which he attributed to his age and, ultimately, to the special admissions programs designed to increase
minority representation. His persistence in seeking admission and his subsequent legal challenge brought the complex issue of affirmative action to the forefront of national debate.
Early Life and Medical School Aspirations
Bakke's academic prowess was evident from his early years; he was a National Merit Scholar at Coral Gables Senior High School. He pursued his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, where he maintained a 3.51 GPA, deferring tuition costs by joining the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. After graduating in 1963, he fulfilled his ROTC requirements by serving four years in the Marine Corps, including a seven-month tour of duty in Vietnam as a commanding officer of an anti-aircraft battery. He achieved the rank of captain before receiving an honorable discharge in 1967.
Following his military service, Bakke worked as an engineer at NASA. His interest in medicine, he stated, began in Vietnam and intensified during his time at NASA, where he considered the problems of space flight and the human body. Despite his impressive credentials and clear motivation, his initial attempts to enter medical school were met with repeated rejections. In 1972, he applied to the USC Keck School of Medicine and Feinberg School of Medicine, both of which rejected him, citing his age as a factor. Medical schools at the time openly practiced age discrimination, which presented an early hurdle for Bakke.
The UC Davis Application and Initial Rejection
In 1973, Bakke applied to UC Davis School of Medicine, a decision influenced by his mother-in-law's illness, which caused a delay in his application. This delay may have significantly impacted his chances, as by the time his candidacy was considered under the school's rolling admissions process, few seats remained. Despite this, his credentials were considered outstanding, even among applicants not part of the special program. He scored 468 points out of a possible 500 on the admissions committee's rating scale in 1973. To put this in perspective, a rating of 470 had secured automatic admission earlier that year, and some promising applicants were admitted with lower scores.
Bakke's academic record included a science GPA of 3.44 and an overall GPA of 3.46, achieved after taking science courses at night to qualify for medical school. His performance on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) was also exceptional, scoring in the 97th percentile in scientific knowledge, 96th in verbal ability, 94th in quantitative analysis, and 72nd in general knowledge. His overall MCAT score was 72, significantly higher than the average applicant to UC Davis (69) and far exceeding the average applicant under the special program (33).
In March 1973, Bakke was invited for an interview at UC Davis. Dr. Theodore West, who interviewed him, described Bakke as “a well-qualified candidate for admission whose main hardship is the unavoidable fact that he is now 33.” Dr. West recommended Bakke, citing his motivation, academic records, potential promise, personal appearance, decorum, maturity, and probable contribution to class balance. However, in May 1973, Bakke received notice of his rejection.
The Seeds of a Lawsuit
Following his rejection, Bakke voiced his concerns about the special admissions program to Dr. George Lowrey, chairman of the admissions committee. At Lowrey's request, Assistant Dean Peter Storandt informed Bakke that his candidacy had been strong and encouraged him to reapply. Storandt, perhaps inadvertently, also suggested that if he wasn't accepted a second time, Bakke "could then research the legal question." Storandt later admitted he realized the university might be vulnerable to legal attack due to its quota system and even provided Bakke with the names of two lawyers interested in affirmative action issues. This interaction, though seemingly an attempt to placate Bakke, laid the groundwork for his legal challenge. Storandt was subsequently demoted and later left the university, with some accounts stating he was fired.
Bakke reapplied to UC Davis medical school in 1974. He underwent two interviews: one with a student interviewer who recommended his admission, and another with Dr. Lowrey. Lowrey's report, however, stated that Bakke "had very definite opinions which were based more on his personal viewpoints than on a study of the whole problem… He was very unsympathetic to the concept of recruiting minority students." Lowrey gave Bakke a poor evaluation, which was the only part of his application that did not receive a high score. Despite his superior academic qualifications, Bakke was rejected again. In both 1973 and 1974, minorities with significantly lower academic scores were admitted through the special program. While 272 white individuals applied under this program between 1971 and 1974, none were successful, and in 1974, the special admissions committee summarily rejected all white students who applied through it. This stark disparity, coupled with the advice he had received, propelled Bakke to pursue legal action, setting the stage for the Supreme Court case that would bear his name.
