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Presidents who did not do an inaugurral speech
Presidents who did not do an inaugurral speech
The following presidents never did an official inaugural speech,
since they were vice-presidents who had to step in when the
president was murdered, died or resigned and they never did a
second term.
- John Tyler : 1841-1845
[vp], Whig
Vice President John Tyler became President upon William Henry Harrison's death one month after
his inauguration. U.S. Circuit Court Judge William Cranch
administered the oath to Mr. Tyler at his residence in the Indian
Queen Hotel on April 6, 1841.
- Millard Fillmore : 1850-1853
[vp] Whig
Judge William Cranch administered the executive oath of office
to Vice President Millard Fillmore on July 10, 1850 in the Hall
of the House of Representatives. President Zachary Taylor had died the day before.
- Andrew Johnson : 1865-1869
[vp], Republican
On April 15, 1865, after visiting the wounded and dying
President Lincoln in a house across
the street from Ford's Theatre, the Vice President returned to
his rooms at Kirkwood House. A few hours later he received the
Cabinet and Chief Justice Salmon Chase in his rooms to take the
executive oath of office.
- Chester A. Arthur : 1881-1885
[vp], Republican
On September 20, 1881, upon the death of President Garfield, Vice President Arthur received a
group at his home in New York City to take the oath of office,
administered by New York Supreme Court Judge John R. Brady. The
next day he again took the oath of office, administered by Chief
Justice Morrison Waite, in the Vice President's Office in the
Capitol in Washington, D.C.
- Gerald Ford : 1974-1977
[vp], Republican
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives became Vice
President upon the resignation of Spiro Agnew, under the process
of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. When President Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Vice
President Ford took the executive oath of office, administered by
Chief Justice Warren Burger, in the East Room of the White House.
He did not deliver an official inaugural speech, but he did give
some remarks upon taking
the oath of office as president.
Inaugural speeches
From George Washington to George Bush, Presidents have used inaugural
addresses to articulate their hopes and dreams for a nation.
Collectively, these addresses chronicle the course of this
country from its earliest days to the present.
Inaugural addresses have taken various tones, themes and
forms. Some have been reflective and instructive, while others
have sought to challenge and inspire. Washington's second inaugural
address on March 4, 1793 required only 135 words and is the
shortest ever given. The longest on record--8,495 words--was
delivered in a snowstorm March 4, 1841 by William Henry Harrison.
Invoking a spirit of both history and patriotism, inaugural
addresses have served to reaffirm the liberties and freedoms that
mark our remarkable system of government. Many memorable and
inspiring passages have originated from these addresses. Among
the best known are Washington's pledge in 1789 to protect the new
nation's "liberties
and freedoms" under "a government instituted by themselves,"
Abraham Lincoln's plea to a nation divided by Civil War to heal
"with malice toward
none, with charity toward all," Franklin D. Roosevelt's
declaration "that the only
thing we have to fear is fear itself," and John F. Kennedy's
exhortation to "ask
not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for
your country."
This collection was published in commemoration of the
Bicentennial Presidential Inauguration that was observed on
January 20, 1989. Dedicated to the institution of the Presidency
and the democratic process that represents the peaceful and
orderly transfer of power according to the will of the people, it
is our hope that this volume will serve as an important and
valuable reference for historians, scholars and the American
people.
- WENDELL H. FORD, Chairman
- Senate Committee on Rules and Administration Joint
Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies for the
Bicentennial Presidential Inaugural, 1789-1989
EXECUTIVE OATH OF OFFICE
"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."
United States Constitution, Article II,
Section 1, Clause 8
The original collection of 1989 has been completed with later
inaugural speeches that were published on the White House
website.