Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, having been appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. He is known for his conservative views and often emphasizes originalism, which is the interpretation of the Constitution as it was understood at the time it was written. Born on June 23, 1948, in Pin Point, Georgia, Thomas faced significant challenges in his early life, including poverty and racial discrimination. He attended College of the Holy Cross and later earned a law degree from Yale Law School. Before joining the Supreme Court, he served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.