Memoirs Are Made of This: A Book Bash for Justice Clarence Thomas

In the corner of the room, pianist Dewey Parker played old standards, such as "My Way."

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Thomas beamed when he was introduced to some of Williams's family from South Carolina. He said he often drives through there on his way to Savannah, his childhood home. "Will you look after me?"

On a South Carolina roll, Thomas said that University of South Carolina -- and former Washington Redskins -- coach Steve Spurrier has invited him down to see the team play. "Yeah," Thomas said, "the Old Ball Coach."

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond and Thomas talked about Georgia. Thomas posed for a picture with a woman in a huge red hat. "I like that hat!" he said to Linda Softli of the Black Republican Women.

Out of the corner of his eye, he recognized sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, who hosted ESPN's now-defunct "Quite Frankly."

Thomas began quizzing him.

"Who was the Black Jesus?" Thomas asked.

Before Smith could answer, Thomas said, "Earl Monroe."

After Thomas grilled Smith on more old-school trivia, Smith finally said, "You're trying to show me that you know more about sports than I do."

Thomas launched into an impassioned speech decrying Bob Hayes's absence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "That is one of the great injustices!" Thomas said. "And that is frankly speaking."

Midway through the party, Vice President Cheney and his wife, Lynne, arrived. Cheney shook hands with Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

When Thomas addressed the gathering, he praised his "court family." He thanked his dear friends, the Cheneys, for showing up, and his number one friend, his wife, Virginia.