; When Danforth became a U.S. senator in 1977, Thomas stayed in St. Louis to work as an assistant counsel for the Monsanto Corp., then in 1979 joined Danforth in Washington as a legislative aide. Clarence Thomas , black nominee to the Supreme Court , comes from a family in segregated Georgia where he was taught the ethic of hard work , self discipline , and independence . He went north to college at Holy Cross . By the time he entered Yale Law School he was described as a freewheeling student . Brilliant conservative law professors and the education of a conservative black lawyer had a profound influence on Thomas . In his service in various state and federal positions and on the U.S. Court of Appeals he has been a proponent of personal strength over dependence and individualism over government activism .
Clarence Thomas , black nominee to the Supreme Court , comes from a family in segregated Georgia where he was taught the ethic of hard work , self discipline , and independence . He went north to college at Holy Cross . By the time he entered Yale Law School he was described as a freewheeling student . Brilliant conservative law professors and the education of a conservative black lawyer had a profound influence on Thomas . In his service in various state and federal positions and on the U.S. Court of Appeals he has been a proponent of personal strength over dependence and individualism over government activism .