Clarence Thomas Becomes Second-Longest Serving Justice
Clarence Thomas, the U.S. Supreme Court justice who was sworn in on Oct. 23, 1991, has reached another career milestone by becoming the second-longest-serving justice in American history, surpassing Stephen J. Field after earlier overtaking john Paul Stevens. The article highlights that thomas could become the longest-serving justice if he remains on the court until May 2028.
It then traces his life and career, from his impoverished childhood in segregated Georgia and early religious upbringing to his later rejection of those beliefs, a personal spiritual “reawakening,” and his political and legal work before joining the Supreme Court.The piece emphasizes his originalist approach to constitutional interpretation-arguing that the Constitution should be read as written at the time of adoption rather than evolving through judicial policymaking-and points to key firearm-related and other major rulings where his reasoning helped shape later conservative jurisprudence.
Beyond his legal record,the article portrays Thomas as personally valiant and compassionate,noting praise from a colleague for his kindness and his resilience in the face of hostile campaigns surrounding his confirmation and later controversies. It concludes by framing his life as an example of adhering to principles despite pressure,with faith presented as central to that message.
Justice Clarence Thomas has continued to leave a lasting legacy on the U.S. Supreme Court and American history writ large. And on Thursday, he did it once more.
The 77-year-old Thomas hit a major milestone by becoming the second-longest serving justice in U.S. history. The Georgia native surpassed Justice Stephen J. Field for the record on Thursday, which came several days after overtaking Justice John Paul Stevens as the third-longest serving justice.
Thomas was sworn in on Oct. 23, 1991, and has served in his current position for more than 34 years. He would surpass Justice William O. Douglas as the longest-serving justice should he continue to serve until May 2028.
Thursday’s record marks a significant achievement for Thomas, whose life story is as remarkable as his career on the nation’s highest court.
The Bush 41 appointee was born into poverty in Pin Point, Georgia, at the height of segregation. As a young boy, his mother sent him and his brother to live in Savannah with their grandparents — both of whom would be instrumental in shaping the man America knows today.
While raised in the Catholic Church, Thomas would go on to fall away from his upbringing and Christian beliefs in early adulthood. Left scarred by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., he turned to left-wing orthodoxy and became a radical throughout his college years. It was only after returning from an unruly riot at Harvard Square in 1970 did he ask God to “take hate” out of his heart and begin his long “crawl” back to the faith.
In the years that followed, Thomas would work under Republican Jack Danforth during the latter’s time as Missouri attorney general and later as a U.S. senator. The Georgia native was ultimately tapped to serve as the assistant secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, where he briefly worked before being appointed chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. President George H.W. Bush later appointed Thomas to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, where he served one year before being nominated to SCOTUS in 1991.
Since arriving at the Supreme Court, Thomas has been instrumental in furthering an originalist approach to constitutional interpretation. That is, interpreting the Constitution as it was written at the time of its adoption and declining to “legislate from the bench” as past Supreme Courts have done (see Roe v. Wade).
Thomas’ concurrence in Printz v. United States (1997) in defense of Americans’ Second Amendment freedoms is stark example of how his jurisprudence set the stage for future originalist decisions. The reasoning he put forward in Printz was arguably foundational to the Supreme Court’s recognition of a personal right to “keep and bear arms” in its 2008 D.C. v. Heller decision. The Bush 41 appointee got the chance to further underscore this right several years later in his majority opinion in NYSRPA v. Bruen (2022), in which the court upheld Americans’ right to carry firearms outside the home for purposes of self-defense.
“The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not ‘a second-class right, subject to an entirely different body of rules than the other Bill of Rights guarantees,’” Thomas wrote for the court. “We know of no other constitutional right that an individual may exercise only after demonstrating to government officers some special need. That is not how the First Amendment works when it comes to unpopular speech or the free exercise of religion. It is not how the Sixth Amendment works when it comes to a defendant’s right to confront the witnesses against him. And it is not how the Second Amendment works when it comes to public carry for self-defense.”
The justice also authored notable opinions in the Supreme Court’s recent SFFA v. Harvard (2023) decision that affirmative action policies are unconstitutional; the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) decision overturning Roe; and the U.S. v. Skrmetti (2025) decision upholding laws protecting minors from “trans”-obsessed weirdos.
And while his incredible intellect and writing have become some of Thomas’ most defining qualities, they are but a few of the many reasons millions of Americans have come to adore him.
In addition to his infectious laugh and light-hearted persona, the man is widely known for his kindness and compassion to those around him. Even his liberal colleague Justice Sonia Sotomayor previously praised him for being “the one justice in the building that literally knows every employee’s name,” and who “not only … know[s] their names, he remembers their families’ names and histories.”
[READ:[READ:Here Are 10 Great Clarence Thomas Quotes To Commemorate His 77th Birthday]
But perhaps most admirable of all is Thomas’ unflinching courage in the face of dishonest smear campaigns designed to destroy him and those in his orbit. Americans not only witnessed this bravery during his gruesome 1991 Senate confirmation, but in the years since, in which he has never wavered when it comes to doing the right thing.
The justice most recently displayed this fortitude during a speech at the University of Texas.
Addressing attendees, Thomas highlighted how many people in Washington, D.C. often pay “lip service” to America’s founding principles, only to then buckle when the going gets tough. More importantly, however, he encouraged listeners to reject such cowardice and be bold when faced with adversity in their own lives.
“Channel the courage of the men who faced down a king and signed [the Declaration], or a president who led the nation in a civil war rather than permit this house to be divided by the great contradiction of slavery,” Thomas said. “Take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure, and with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, let us mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
If readers take anything from this man’s extraordinary life and accomplishments, it’s that praise and glorification from the “popular” crowd are no substitutes for honor and decency; that to do what is right when faced with unrelenting pressure not to is worth it; and that, with God, traversing the storms of life is possible.
Justice Thomas has embodied and lived these principles throughout his life and record-setting career. Americans everywhere would be all the wiser to follow in his footsteps.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He is a co-recipient of the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics and RealClearHealth. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
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