Nomination of Clarence Thomas To Be a Member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Designation as Chairman

The President today announced his intention to nominate Clarence Thomas to be a member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for the term expiring July 1, 1991. This is a reappointment. Upon confirmation he will be designated Chairman.

Mr. Thomas has held his position of Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission since February 1982. Previous to this he was Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education from 1981 to 1982. tie was legislative assistant to Senator John C. Danforth (R-MO) in 1979-1981; an attorney at the Monsanto Co. in 1977-1979; and assistant attorney general of Missouri in 1974-1977.

He graduated from Holy Cross College (B.A., 1971) and is a member of the board of trustees of that institution, and Yale Law School (.I.D., 1974). He has one child and was born June 23, 1948, in Savannah, GA.