Thomas Joins Colleagues on Supreme Court Bench

The Supreme Court brought a dignified end Friday to the most raucous confirmation struggle in its history with a brief ceremony in which Justice Clarence Thomas took his seat with his eight black-robed colleagues.

The courtroom ceremony began with Acting Atty. Gen. William P. Barr presenting a proclamation from President Bush appointing “Clarence Thomas of Georgia” to the Supreme Court. The new justice was then escorted up to the bench where, with Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist presiding, he took an oath to “faithfully and impartially discharge” his duties.

As Thomas took his seat on the nine-member court, Rehnquist wished him “a long and happy career in our common calling.”

The five-minute ceremony briefly brought together many of the key figures in the televised hearings into an accusation that Thomas had sexually harassed former aide Anita Faye Hill. His wife, Virginia, and his prime sponsor, Sen. John C. Danforth (R-Mo.), sat in the front row. Nearby were Republican Sens. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who vigorously defended Thomas during the Judiciary Committee hearings.

Also seated near the front were Senate Republican leader Bob Dole of Kansas and former White House Chief of Staff Kenneth M. Duberstein, who advised Thomas throughout the confirmation fight.

After the ceremony, Thomas and Rehnquist walked down the sweeping marble steps of the Supreme Court for the benefit of the assembled photographers. The new justice could not entirely escape the bitter confirmation fight as hecklers from the street shouted out: “Down with the male supremacist court.”

Thomas smiled for the cameras, but paused only briefly, telling reporters he was “ready to go to work.”

The new justice then walked back into the court building for his first conference. On Friday mornings, the justices review the several hundred appeals that have arrived in recent weeks and decide which are worthy of a full hearing and a written decision.

On Monday morning, the court will issue a list of orders granting reviews to a few of the cases and rejecting without comment all the rest. The justices on Wednesday will hear arguments in a key case involving school graduation prayers in which the now more-conservative court is being asked to allow more religion in the schools.

Since Thomas took a private oath at the court on Oct. 23, he has reportedly made the rounds of the building and met with each of the justices, both to get acquainted and to learn about the operation of the court.

He is also getting comfortable in his new chambers. As he sat alone reading one recent afternoon, he puffed away on a large cigar.