Did You Know? Presidential Inauguration: Fun Facts

Article by: Tamara Belden; Licensed DC Tour Director / Guide

What president gave the longest inaugural speech and died from pneumonia one month later? What president was given the oath of office by a notary public? Why a presidential inauguration today would NOT be held on January 20? Find out the answer to these and other interesting inauguration trivia here!

1. William Henry Harrison – March 4, 1841, was a cold and windy day in Washington. Harrison chose not to wear an overcoat, hat or gloves. THEN, he proceeded to give the longest inaugural address in our history (8,460 words – over two hours). Three weeks later, he caught a cold and died of…pneumonia or possible a parasite from the water. He had the shortest presidency in American history – 31 days.
2. At 2:30 on the morning of August 3, 1923, while visiting in Vermont, Calvin Coolidge received word that President Harding had died and that he was now the President of the United States. His father, who was a notary public, administered the oath of office as Coolidge placed his hand on the family Bible.
3. When January 20th falls on a Sunday, the president takes the oath of office in a private ceremony and then in a public ceremony the next day to avoid a vacuum of office. This has happened in 1957, 1985, and 2013.
4. The constitution does not specify where the president shall take the oath of office or who shall administer it. It does, however, specify the oath:

“Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” (Article 2, Section 1)

1. Prior to 1937, presidents were inaugurated on March 4th (except the first one – George Washington in 1789, was inaugurated on April 30th). Since 1933, presidents are inaugurated on January 20th at noon. This was changed by constitutional amendment to reduce the transition time between the election and the assumption to office of the new president and vice president.
2. Although most presidents have taken the oath of office while placing their hand on a bible, there have been at least three instances when they did not use a Bible: John Adams used a book of law (representing the constitution); Lyndon Johnson was sworn in (on a plane) with a Catholic Missal; Theodore Roosevelt did not use a book at all (upon the death of President McKinley in a private ceremony).
3. Our coldest January presidential inauguration was Ronald Reagan’s in 1985. The temperature was a low of 7 degrees and a high of 17 degrees on that January 20th day. The ceremony was moved inside and the parade was cancelled. The coldest March inauguration (prior to 1937) was the second inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant when it was 4 degrees that morning and rose only to a high of 16 degrees.