That seat on the Fourth Circuit eventually was filled by Roger Gregory, whose nomination by Clinton was never acted upon by the Senate.

By using his power to make appointments during congressional recesses to name Roger Gregory to the appeals court, Mr. Clinton was able to bypass the Senate confirmation process temporarily.

This initial group of nominees included Roger Gregory, a Clinton recess-appointed judge to the Fourth Circuit, as a peace offering to Senate Democrats.

On June 30, President Clinton tried to circumvent the Helms obstacle by nominating Roger Gregory to fill the seat that has been vacant for 10 years.

With the nomination of Roger Gregory from Virginia, the Republican-controlled Senate now has the chance to demonstrate a commitment to equality in judicial confirmations.

But none more than the man who changed his life, Roger Gregory.

They supported the nomination of Roger Gregory, the first African American judge in the Fourth Circuit in 2001.

That may result, officials said, in the White House being willing to nominate Roger Gregory as a permanent member of that court.

Xanadu's co-founder and chairman, Roger Gregory, said the company will deliver a preliminary hypertext system to research institutions and developers later this year.

"We consider Roger Gregory to be the balance," said Mr. Broughton, referring to an African-American lawyer from Richmond nominated this month by President Bush.