Guide Note

Clarence Thomas was appointed Associate Justice of The U.S. Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush in 1991.

Fast Facts

Born: June 23, 1948
1991: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Nominated by: George H. W. Bush
Preceded by: Thurgood Marshall
Second African American to serve in nation's highest court

Supreme Court

Thomas was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to replace Thurgood Marshall upon his retirement in in 1991. Marshall was the only African American to serve as a justice in the Supreme Court. The NAACP and other civil rights organizations opposed the appointment because Thomas criticized affirmative action and allegedly did not support the judgment in Roe v. Wade. When questioned during confirmation hearings, Thomas claimed he had not formulated an opinion on the matter.

Anita Hill

During the confirmation hearings, information about an FBI interview with attorney Anita Hill, who had worked for him at the U.S. Department of Education, surfaced and created a scandal. She was called to testify at the Senate confirmation hearing. Hill alleged that Thomas made graphically sexual comments to her. Thomas denied the allegations and after a long debate, the committee sent the nomination for a full Senate review. Thomas was confirmed with a 52-28 vote on October 15, 1991.

Categories

Politics | U.S. Government | Justice System | Supreme Court | Judges

View Note History

Clarence Thomas

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Clarence Thomas
OYEZ: Clarence Thomas Biography
60 Minutes: Clarence Thomas: The Justice Nobody Knows (September 30, 2007)
New Georgia Encyclopedia: Clarence Thomas Profile
AEI: Be Not AfraidBy Clarence Thomas
PBS: Supreme Court Watch - Justice Clarence Thomas
On The Issues: Clarence Thomas On...

Clarence Thomas Recent News

Google News: Clarence Thomas
The New York Times: Clarence Thomas
Los Angeles Times: Book Review: 'My Grandfather's Son' by Clarence Thomas (October 1, 2007)

Clarence Thomas Background and Profiles

Supreme Court History: Clarence Thomas Profile
NPR: Powerful Yet Despised: Clarence Thomas' Story
Gale.com: Justice Clarence Thomas
Washington Post: Justice Thomas's Life A Tangle of Poverty, Privilege and Race (April 21, 2007)
On The Issues: Clarence Thomas on Abortion
National Review Online: Supreme Justice (October 18, 2002)

Clarence Thomas Comment, Criticism and Commentary

City Journal: Reading the Constitution Right by Stephen B. Presser, City Journal Spring 2007
Legal Affairs Debate Club: Should Clarence Thomas be Chief Justice? (January 3, 2005)
Out of Scalia's Shadow (1998)
Legal Affairs: Touting Thomas (January 2005)
AlterNet: Judging Clarence Thomas (August 18, 2004)
New York Times: Supreme Discomfort: The Divided Soul of Clarence Thomas (Book Review) (June 16, 2007)

Thomas and Affirmative Action

Huffington Post: Clarence Thomas: Affirmative Action Not Needed...
Find Articles: Clarence Thomas Tells Black Lawyers, He'll Still Oppose Affirmative Action (August 17, 1998)
The Volokh Conspiracy: Clarence Thomas and "Affirmative Action"
Harvard BlackLetter Journal: Grutter v. Bollinger, Clarence Thomas, Affirmative Action

Thomas on Abortion

Daily Kos: Prisoner Denied Abortion Rights By Clarence Thomas (October 15, 2005)

Anita Hill Controversy

Center for History and New Media: An Outline of the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas Debate
Museum.tv: Hill-Thomas Hearings
CNN.com: Then and Now: Anita Hill (January 3, 2005)

Clarence Thomas Blogs and Commentaries

OpinionJournal: The Truth About Clarence Thomas (January 28, 2007)
The United States Constitution: Clarence Thomas Archive
Google Blog Search: Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: Clarence Thomas
Yahoo! Image Search: Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas Satire and Humor

Whitehouse.org: Ask the White House - Clarence Thomas
The Whitehouse.org: Thomas as Secretary of the Posterior
Google Video: Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill Spoof

Related Searches

Anita Hill | The U.S. Supreme Court