Presidential Inauguration – January 20, 2009
Teachers’ Resources – TridentAcademy
Compiled by Mary M. Silgals
Inauguration Events – Joint Congressional Committee on the Inauguration
Information on:
Morning worship service
Procession to the Capitol
Swearing-In of the Vice-President
President’s Swearing-In
Inaugural Address
Departure of Outgoing President
Inaugural Luncheon
Inaugural Parade
Inaugural Ball
Videos - Hot Chalk -
25 Inaugural Addresses – Videos show past Presidential Inaugurations. Some with original footage without sound; others in black and white, and then comes color!
Schedule of Events: Tuesday, January 20th - Inauguration Day
The President-elect and Vice President-elect and their families will participate in the traditional inaugural ceremonies and events. For the first time ever, the length of the National Mall will be open to those wishing to attend the swearing-in ceremony. Festivities will commence at 10 a.m. on the west front of the U.S. Capitol and will include:
• Musical Selections: The United States Marine Band, followed by The San Francisco Boys Chorus and the San Francisco Girls Chorus
• Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks: Senator Dianne Feinstein
• Invocation: Dr. Rick Warren
• Musical Selection: Aretha Franklin
• Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will be sworn into office by Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, the Honorable John Paul Stevens
• Musical Selection: John Williams, composer/arranger with Itzhak Perlman, (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Gabriela Montero (piano) and Anthony McGill (clarinet)
• President-elect Barack H. Obama will take the Oath of Office, using President Lincoln’s Inaugural Bible, administered by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.
• Inaugural Address
• Poem:Elizabeth Alexander
• Benediction: The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
• The National Anthem: The United States Navy Band “Sea Chanters”
After President Obama gives his Inaugural Address, he will escort outgoing President George W. Bush to a departure ceremony before attending a luncheon in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall. The 56th Inaugural Parade will then make its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House with groups traveling from all over the country to participate.
Later that day, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will host ten official Inaugural Balls. More details about the Inaugural Balls will be released at a later date.
Presidential Inauguration – Unofficial Guide
Foreign Press guide for the Inauguration
Andy Rooney’s Presidential Inauguration Trivia – Video (2 minutes, 32 seconds)
Presidential Oaths of Office
The information below is courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol. It has been compiled by the Office of the Curator from contemporary accounts and other sources in the files of the Architect of the Capitol. Each president recites the following oath, in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution:
"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."
Photos and Art Renditions of Past Inaugurations
1st Inauguration – George Washington
1889 Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison.
President Kennedy Inauguration
First Capitol Inauguration – 1829
Franklin Roosevelt – March 4, 1933
President Jefferson Davis – Montgomery, Alabama
February 18, 1861
2009 Inaugural Parade Route Map - Washington, DC
The 2009 inaugural parade route is shown on the map below. The parade will begin at the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building and proceed along Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. This event is expected to draw record breaking crowds. The best way to get to the inaugural parade will be by Metrorail.
Obama's inauguration by the numbers
By NAFEESA SYEED, Associated Press Writer Nafeesa Syeed, Associated Press Writer– SatJan10, 1:08pmET
AP–Darrell Queen, with Kolb Electric, changes lighting fixtures on Pennsylvania Avenue Thursday, Jan. 8,…
WASHINGTON – One ton each of chocolate and cheese. About 1,500 cases of beer. Eight hundred pounds of bison.
Those are just a few items that the Marriott Wardman Park, Washington's largest hotel, is stocking for the 49,000 meals it expects to serve Jan. 17 through Inauguration Day. The hotel is among many businesses and government agencies trying to quantify whatever they can before President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in on Jan. 20.
"It's just amazing," said Christopher Otway, the Wardman's catering director. "The chef hands you the list and says these are the quantities they need and you say, 'Oh my God!'"
For inaugural planners, dealing with the numbers at first was daunting, said Peter Gage, parade director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The trick to keeping track? "You've got to break it down," Gage said.
A rundown of the numbers, including more than a few estimates:
$40 million, the estimated cost of the inaugural parade, balls, opening ceremonies, giant television screens on National Mall and other expenses for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
432, total Presidential Inaugural Committee staff members.
0, how many of the free 240,000 tickets that have been distributed thus far for the swearing-in ceremony. They go out this coming week.
• 58, law-enforcement and other agencies working on security.
• 8,000, District of Columbia police officers on duty, and those hired from departments around the country.
• 1,000, U.S. Park Police officers on duty, and those hired from outside departments.
• 550, Metro transit police on duty, and those hired from outside departments.
• 10,000, National Guardsmen helping law enforcement agencies in and around the city.
• 120,000, passengers Metro trains can carry per hour on Inauguration Day.
• 2 million, inauguration subway maps Metro is printing.
• 10,000, charter buses expected to descend on the city.
• 600, hotel rooms left in Washington.
• 90,000, unique hits that Destination D.C., the city's tourism bureau, has received on its inauguration Web site.
• 13,000, military and civilian participants in the inaugural parade, including marching bands.
• 112, light bulbs replaced in lampposts on Pennsylvania Avenue parade route.
• 10, large screens broadcasting swearing-in on the National Mall.
• 1,000, vendors so far who have received licensed spots to sell wares around parade route and city streets.
• 15,000 to 18,000, volunteers helping Presidential Inaugural Committee around the city.
• 4,100, minimum number of portable toilets available to the public.
• 10, official inaugural balls.
• 12,000, eggs that chefs at the Willard InterContinental Hotel will use for meals from Jan. 17 through the inauguration.
• 10,000, square footage of the swearing-in stage.
• 6, number of bicycle rickshaws D.C. Pedicab plans to operate.
Official Inaugural Balls
Ten official balls, planned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, will be held on the night of January 20, 2009 and are the only ones that the Obamas and Bidens are guaranteed to attend. More Details About Tickets to be Announced.
Neighborhood Inaugural Ball - WashingtonConvention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW. In keeping with his commitment to make this inaugural celebration open and accessible to all Americans, President-elect Barack Obama will host the first-ever “Neighborhood Inaugural Ball” with tickets available free or at an affordable price. It is the first official inaugural ball of its kind to be held during a presidential inauguration.
Commander-in-Chief's Inaugural Ball - NationalBuildingMuseum,401 F St. NW. The ball is in honor of the country's active duty and reserve military. Invited guests will include wounded warriors (Purple Heart recipients), families of fallen heroes, and spouses of deployed military. Tickets will be provided free of charge to all invited guests. This event is not open to the general public.
Youth Inaugural Ball - For Ages 18-35 - Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW. This ball will celebrate the inauguration and the role young Americans can play to serve their communities. Tickets $75.
Obama Home States Inaugural Ball - WashingtonConvention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW. Illinois and Hawaii invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Biden Home States Inaugural Ball - WashingtonConvention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW. Delaware and Pennsylvania invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Eastern Inaugural Ball - Union Station, 40 Massachusetts Ave NE. CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT, PR, and USVI invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Mid-Atlantic Inaugural Ball - WashingtonConvention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW. MD, VA, DC, NY, NJ, and WV invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Midwest Inaugural Ball - WashingtonConvention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW.KS, IN, IA, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, SD, WI, and MO invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Southern Inaugural Ball - National Guard Armory, 2001 East Capitol St. SE. AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, and TX invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Western Inaugural Ball - Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW. AK, CA, ID, MT, OR, WA, WY, AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT, OK, GUAM/AS and invited guests. Tickets: $150.
Presidential Inaugural Luncheon Information
Recipes from the Inaugural Luncheon
The 2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu
First Course
* Seafood Stew
* Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, NapaValley
Second Course
* A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck), served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes
* Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, AndersonValley
Third Course
* Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé
* Korbel Natural “Special Inaugural Cuvée,” CaliforniaChampagne
The first course will be served on replicas of the china from the Lincoln Presidency, which was selected by Mary Todd Lincoln at the beginning of her husband's term in office. The china features the American bald eagle standing above the U.S. Coat of Arms, surrounded by a wide border of "solferino," a purple-red hue popular among the fashionable hosts of the day.
The floral arrangements, designed by JLB Floral of Alexandria, Virginia, will feature hydrangeas in shades of purple and blue, Hot Mojolica spray roses, bright Red Charlotte roses and light blue Delphinium in a footed brass compote. After the luncheon, the floral arrangements will be given to the WalterReedArmyMedicalCenter.
The backdrop for the luncheon will be a painting, chosen for occasion, and borrowed from the New-York Historical Society. The painting, "View of the Yosemite Valley," by Thomas Hill, reflects the majestic landscape of the American West and the dawn of a new era. The subject of the painting, Yosemite Valley, represents an important but often overlooked event from Lincoln's presidency -- his signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant, which set aside Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as a public reserve.
During the Inaugural Luncheon it is traditional for the President and Vice President to be presented with gifts by the Congress on behalf of the American people. The President and Vice President will each be presented with a framed official photograph taken of their swearing-in ceremony by a Senate photographer, as well as flags flown over the U.S. Capitol during the inaugural ceremonies.
The President and Vice President will also receive one-of-a-kind engraved crystal bowls, created by the Lenox Company of Bristol, Pennsylvania. President Obama will receive a bowl depicting the White House on a crystal base inscribed with “Barack H. Obama, The Presidential Inauguration, January 20, 2009.” Vice President Biden will receive a bowl depicting the United States Capitol, on a crystal base inscribed with “Joseph R. Biden Jr. , The Vice Presidential Inauguration, January 20, 2009.” The bowls were designed by Timothy Carder and hand-cut by master glass-cutter Peter O’Rourke.
Each guest at the Inaugural Luncheon will receive a crystal vase etched with a depiction of the U.S. Capitol, designed by Paula Skene, an artist in Emeryville, California, and handcrafted by Evergreen Crystal of Montrose, Colorado.
The Smithsonian Chamber Players, who are artists in residence at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, will provide music for the Inaugural Luncheon. The ensemble, directed by cellist Kenneth Slowik, is renowned for its performances of period music on the musical instruments in the Smithsonian’s collection.
Members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies are Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman; Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee Bob Bennett; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi; House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer; and House Minority Leader John Boehner.
Participants at the luncheon:
The luncheon, hosted by the members of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, has been a tradition for more than a century. Approximately 200 guests including the new President, Vice President, members of their families, the Supreme Court, Cabinet designees, and members of Congressional leadership will attend the event in Statuary Hall.
Crystal Bowl Floral Arrangement
View of the Yosemite Valley
China (Lincoln)
Past Inaugurations
DATE / PRESIDENT / LOCATION / OATH ADMINISTERED BYApril 30, 1789 / George Washington / Balcony of Federal Hall, New York City / Robert Livingston, Chancellor of State of New York
March 4, 1793 / George Washington / Senate Chamber, Congress Hall, Philadelphia / William Cushing, Associate Justice of Supreme Court
March 4, 1797 / John Adams / House of Representatives Chamber, Congress Hall, Philadelphia / Oliver Ellsworth, Chief Justice
March 4, 1801 / Thomas Jefferson / Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1805 / Thomas Jefferson / Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1809 / James Madison / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1813 / James Madison / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1817 / James Monroe / In front of Old Brick Capitol (1st & A Sts., N.E.); now site of the Supreme Court Building / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 5, 1821 / James Monroe / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1825 / John Q. Adams / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1829 / Andrew Jackson / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1833 / Andrew Jackson / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / John Marshall, Chief Justice
March 4, 1837 / Martin Van Buren / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1841 / William H. Harrison / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
April 6, 1841 / John Tyler / Brown's Hotel, 6th St.Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. / William Cranch, Chief Judge of U.S. Circuit Court
March 4, 1845 / James K. Polk / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 5, 1849 / Zachary Taylor / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
July 10, 1850 / Millard Fillmore / House Chamber, U.S. Capitol / William Cranch, Chief Judge of U.S. Circuit Court
March 4, 1853 / Franklin Pierce / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1857 / James Buchanan / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1861 / Abraham Lincoln / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Roger B. Taney, Chief Justice
March 4, 1865 / Abraham Lincoln / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
April 15, 1865 / Andrew Johnson / Kirkwood Hotel, 12th St.Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. / Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 4, 1869 / Ulysses S. Grant / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 4, 1873 / Ulysses S. Grant / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Salmon P. Chase, Chief Justice
March 3, 1877 / Rutherford B. Hayes / Privately in Red Room, White House / Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 5, 1877 / Rutherford B. Hayes / Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1881 / James A. Garfield / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
September 20, 1881 / Chester A. Arthur / Privately at his residence, 123 Lexington Avenue, New York City / John R. Brady, Justice of the New YorkState Supreme Court
September 22, 1881 / Chester A. Arthur / Publicly in the Office of the Vice President, U.S. Capitol / Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1885 / Grover Cleveland / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Morrison R. Waite, Chief Justice
March 4, 1889 / Benjamin Harrison / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1893 / Grover Cleveland / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1897 / William McKinley / In front of the Original Senate Wing, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1901 / William McKinley / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
September 14, 1901 / Theodore Roosevelt / Ansley Wilcox residence, Buffalo, New York / John R. Hazel, U.S. District Judge for Western District of New York
March 4, 1905 / Theodore Roosevelt / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1909 / William H. Taft / Senate Chamber, U.S. Capitol / Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice
March 4, 1913 / Woodrow Wilson / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 4, 1917 / Woodrow Wilson / Privately in President's Room, U.S. Capitol / Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 5, 1917 / Woodrow Wilson / Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Edward D. White, Chief Justice
March 4, 1921 / Warren G. Harding / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Edward D. White, Chief Justice
August 3, 1923 / Calvin Coolidge / His father's residence, Plymouth, Vermont / John C. Coolidge, his father, a Notary Public
March 4, 1925 / Calvin Coolidge / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / William H. Taft, Chief Justice
March 4, 1929 / Herbert C. Hoover / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / William H. Taft, Chief Justice
March 4, 1933 / Franklin D. Roosevelt / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1937 / Franklin D. Roosevelt / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1941 / Franklin D. Roosevelt / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Charles E. Hughes, Chief Justice
January 20, 1945 / Franklin D. Roosevelt / South Portico, White House / Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice
April 12, 1945 / Harry S. Truman / Cabinet Room, White House / Harlan F. Stone, Chief Justice
January 20, 1949 / Harry S. Truman / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Frederick Vinson, Chief Justice
January 20, 1953 / Dwight D. Eisenhower / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Frederick Vinson, Chief Justice
January 20, 1957 / Dwight D. Eisenhower / Privately in East Room, White House / Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 21, 1957 / Dwight D. Eisenhower / Publicly on East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1961 / John F. Kennedy / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Earl Warren, Chief Justice
November 22, 1963 / Lyndon B. Johnson / Conference room aboard Air Force One at Love Field, Dallas, Texas / Sarah T. Hughes, U.S. District Judge, Northern District of Texas
January 20, 1965 / Lyndon B. Johnson / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1969 / Richard M. Nixon / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Earl Warren, Chief Justice
January 20, 1973 / Richard M. Nixon / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
August 9, 1974 / Gerald R. Ford / East Room, White House / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1977 / James E. Carter / East Portico, U.S. Capitol / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1981 / Ronald W. Reagan / West Front, U.S. Capitol / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1985 / Ronald W. Reagan / Privately in North Entrance Hall, White House / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 21, 1985 / Ronald W. Reagan / Publicly in Rotunda, U.S. Capitol / Warren E. Burger, Chief Justice
January 20, 1989 / George H. W. Bush / West Front, U.S. Capitol / William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 1993 / William J. Clinton / West Front, U.S. Capitol / William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 1997 / William J. Clinton / West Front, U.S. Capitol / William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
January 20, 2001 / George W. Bush / West Front, U.S. Capitol / William Rehnquist, Chief Justice
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