The Sumner Elementary School in Topeka, Kansas was involved in the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka in 1954. Linda Brown attempted to enroll in the Sumner School, which was closer to her house than the all black Monroe School to which she was attending. Her enrollment was rejected by the Topeka Board of Education. Oliver Brown, Linda's father, then joined the class action lawsuit against the Topeka Board of Education that was eventually heard before the Supreme Court. The Sumner Elementary School is currently a National Historic Landmark listed with the United States Department of the Interior. The school was designed in the Art Deco style by Thomas W. Williamson and constructed in 1936. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka : Sumner and Monroe Elementary Schools : management alternatives study and environmental assessment. National Park Service, Midwest Region, [1992]
