Second inauguration of Richard Nixon

Last updated
Second presidential inauguration of Richard Nixon
Nixon 1973 inauguration.jpg
DateJanuary 20, 1973;50 years ago (1973-01-20)
Location United States Capitol,
Washington, D.C.
Organized by Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
Participants Richard Nixon
37th president of the United States
— Assuming office
Spiro Agnew
39th vice president of the United States
— Assuming office
Warren E. Burger
Chief Justice of the United States
— Administering oaths

The second inauguration of Richard Nixon as president of the United States was held on Saturday, January 20, 1973, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 47th inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final term of both Richard Nixon as president and Spiro Agnew as vice president. Both Agnew and Nixon resigned within two years of this term. In December 1973, Gerald Ford replaced Agnew as vice president and in the following year, replaced Nixon as president. This made Nixon the first and, as of 2023, only person to be inaugurated four times as both president and vice president. Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered both the presidential and vice presidential oaths of office. [1] During the ceremony, Look With Pride On Our Flag, a song dedicated to President Nixon and composed by Hank Fort, was played. [2]

Contents

Inaugural festivities

The inaugural theme was "The Spirit of '76". The 1973 Inaugural Committee's chairman was J. Willard Marriott. Other officers of the committee and its working groups included Jeb Magruder, Mark Evans, Ken Rietz, Ed Cowling, Ann Dore, Pam Powell. H. R. Haldeman was not officially part of the committee but was involved in many of the committee's important decisions. [3]

Three simultaneous inaugural concerts were planned: a Symphonic Concert (a "show for financial contributors") held at Kennedy Center Concert Hall, a Youth Concert ("a show for young people", to feature the Osmonds and the Carpenters), and an American Music Concert ("a show for all others", to feature country, folk, jazz, Dixieland, etc). [3]

The committee decided to program Eugene Ormandy, Nixon's favorite conductor (Nixon had awarded Ormandy the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970), and the Philadelphia Orchestra for the Symphonic Concert, breaking the tradition since the 1930s of hiring the National Symphony Orchestra for the inauguration. [3] In early December 1972 the committee considered asking Dimitri Tiomkin for a new work to accompany a reading of Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address for the concert (possibly at the suggestion of Nixon's friend and supporter Tex Ritter, [4] for whom Tiomkin's The Ballad of High Noon became a signature tune). But with fears that Tiomkin would work too slow, and at Ormandy's suggestion, Vincent Persichetti was approached to write the work. [3] Persichetti completed the work in two weeks, it became his A Lincoln Address, opus 124. During the time that Persichetti was composing; the Vietnam War's Christmas Bombings began. The committee developed reservations about the appropriateness of Lincoln's address at the inauguration in the climate of war, and pulled Persichetti's composition from the program after it had been announced. [3]

The Symphonic Concert's program consisted of: [3]

Death and state funeral of Lyndon B. Johnson

Just four weeks after the death of former president Harry S. Truman, former president Lyndon B. Johnson, whom Nixon replaced in the White House in January 1969, died of a heart attack at the age of 64, two days after Nixon's second inauguration. Johnson thus became the sixth president who died during his immediate successor's administration, following George Washington (1799), James K. Polk (1849), Andrew Johnson (1875), Chester A. Arthur (1886) and Calvin Coolidge (1933), who died during the administrations of John Adams, Zachary Taylor, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland (1st term), and Herbert Hoover, respectively. Many of the ceremonies that the Armed Forces Inauguration Committee had planned during the ten days had to be canceled to allow for a full state funeral. [5]

Many of the military personnel who participated in the inauguration took part in the funeral. [5] Johnson's casket traveled the entire length of the Capitol, entering through the Senate wing when taken into the rotunda to lie in state, and exiting through the House wing; this was due to construction on the East Front steps. [6]

The final services took place on January 25 with the funeral taking place at National City Christian Church in Washington, D.C., where LBJ worshipped at often during his presidency, and ended with burial at his Texas ranch. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

This section of the timeline of United States history concerns events from 1970 to 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of office of the president of the United States</span> Oath taken by a new president of the United States

The oath of office of the president of the United States is the oath or affirmation that the president of the United States takes upon assuming office. The wording of the oath is specified in Article II, Section One, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution, and a new president must take it before exercising or carrying out any official powers or duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Task Force National Capital Region</span>

Joint Task Force National Capital Region is an element of United States Northern Command tasked to support presidential inaugurations..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the Watergate scandal</span>

The Watergate scandal refers to the burglary and illegal wiretapping of the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, in the Watergate complex by members of President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign, and the subsequent cover-up of the break-in resulting in Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, as well as other abuses of power by the Nixon White House that were discovered during the course of the scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential inauguration</span> Ceremony marking the start of a new presidential term

Between 73 and 79 days after the presidential election, the president-elect of the United States is inaugurated as president by taking the presidential oath of office. The inauguration takes place for each new presidential term, even if the president is continuing in office for a second term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VC-137C SAM 26000</span> Air Force VIP Aircraft

SAM 26000 was the first of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft specifically configured and maintained for use by the president of the United States. It used the callsign Air Force One when the president was on board, otherwise SAM 26000, with SAM indicating Special Air Mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Barack Obama</span> 56th United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. The 56th inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in the city, marked the commencement of the first term of Barack Obama as president and Joe Biden as vice president. Based on combined attendance numbers, television viewership, and Internet traffic, it was one of the most-observed events ever by the global audience at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Abraham Lincoln</span> 19th United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Abraham Lincoln as the 16th president of the United States was held on Monday, March 4, 1861, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 19th inauguration and marked the commencement of the first, and eventually only full term of Abraham Lincoln as president and the only term of Hannibal Hamlin as vice president. The presidential oath of office was administered to Lincoln by Roger B. Taney, the Chief Justice of the United States. John C. Breckinridge became the first outgoing vice president to administer the vice-presidential oath of office to his successor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Bill Clinton</span> 52nd United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Bill Clinton as the 42nd president of the United States was held on Wednesday, January 20, 1993, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 52nd inauguration and marked the commencement of the first term of Bill Clinton as president and Al Gore as vice president. At 46 years, 154 days of age at the time of his first inauguration, Clinton was the third-youngest person to become president, and the first from the Baby Boomer generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Richard Nixon</span> 46th United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Richard Nixon as the 37th president of the United States was held on Monday, January 20, 1969, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 46th inauguration and marked the commencement of the first and eventually only full term of both Richard Nixon as president and Spiro Agnew as vice president. Chief Justice Earl Warren administered the presidential oath of office to Nixon, and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen administered the vice presidential oath to Agnew. Nixon was the first non-incumbent vice president to be inaugurated as president. This was also the last presidential oath administered by Chief Justice Warren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson</span> 45th United States presidential inauguration

The second inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson as president of the United States was held on Wednesday, January 20, 1965, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 45th inauguration and marked the second and only full term of Lyndon B. Johnson as president and the only term of Hubert Humphrey as vice president. Chief Justice Earl Warren administered the oath of office. Lady Bird Johnson founded the tradition of incoming first ladies participating in the ceremony by holding the sworn-in president's Bible. Vice President Humphrey was sworn-in by John W. McCormack, the speaker of the House of Representatives. This was the first inauguration when the president rode in a bulletproof limousine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower</span> 43rd United States presidential inauguration

The second inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president of the United States was held privately on Sunday, January 20, 1957, at the White House and publicly on the following day, Monday, January 21, 1957, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol; both located in Washington, D.C. This was the 43rd inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final four-year term of both Dwight D. Eisenhower as president and Richard Nixon as vice president. Chief Justice Earl Warren administered the presidential oath of office after the Senate Minority Leader William Knowland swore in the vice president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower</span> 42nd United States presidential inauguration

The first inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower as the 34th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, January 20, 1953, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 42nd inauguration and marked the commencement of the first term of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president and of Richard Nixon as vice president. Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson administered the presidential oath of office to Eisenhower. The vice presidential oath was administered to Nixon by Senator William Knowland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inauguration of John F. Kennedy</span> 44th United States presidential inauguration

The inauguration of John F. Kennedy as the 35th president of the United States was held on Friday, January 20, 1961, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was the 44th inauguration, marking the commencement of John F. Kennedy's and Lyndon B. Johnson's only term as president and vice president. Kennedy was assassinated 2 years, 306 days into this term, and Johnson succeeded to the presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Nixon 1968 presidential campaign</span> Campaign for the presidency of US

The 1968 presidential campaign of Richard Nixon, the 36th vice president of the United States, began when Nixon, the Republican nominee of 1960, formally announced his candidacy, following a year's preparation and five years' political reorganization after defeats in the 1960 presidential election and the 1962 California gubernatorial election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States presidential inaugural balls</span> Celebration for the president of the United States

United States presidential inaugural balls are large social gatherings, both white tie and black tie, held to celebrate the commencement of a new term of the president of the United States. Planned and sanctioned by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, the official inaugural balls occur throughout the evening of Inauguration Day in the Washington D.C. area and are invitation-only, attended by guests who are issued pre-paid tickets. The president, first lady, vice president, and second lady or gentleman all make personal appearances at each of the inaugural balls held in their honor. Catered food, beverages, and live entertainment performed by national and globally acclaimed musicians are provided at the inaugural balls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilson desk</span> Oval Office desk

The desk in the Vice President's Room of the United States Capitol, colloquially known as the Wilson desk and previously called the McKinley-Barkley desk, is a large mahogany partner's desk used by U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford in the Oval Office as their Oval Office desk. One of only six desks used by a President in the Oval Office, it was purchased in 1898 by Garret Augustus Hobart, the 24th Vice President of the United States, for the Vice President's Room in the United States Capitol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second inauguration of Barack Obama</span> 57th United States presidential inauguration

The second inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States was the 57th inauguration, marking the commencement of his second and final term, with Joe Biden as vice president. A private swearing-in ceremony took place on Sunday, January 20, 2013, in the Blue Room of the White House, followed by a public inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 21, 2013, at the West Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

The following is a timeline of the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson from January 1, 1968, to January 20, 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Presidential transition of Richard Nixon</span>

The presidential transition of Richard Nixon began when he won the United States 1968 United States presidential election, becoming the president-elect, and ended when Nixon was inaugurated at noon EST on January 20, 1969. Nixon had become president-elect once the election results became clear on November 6, 1968, the day after the election. This was the first presidential transition to take place following the passage of the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.

References

  1. ↑ "47TH INAUGURAL CEREMONIES". United States Senate. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Eleanor H. Fort, Composer, Dead". The Daily Times. Salisbury, Maryland. January 14, 1973. p. 48. Retrieved December 25, 2015– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Chikinda, Michael (Winter 2018). "Lincoln, Persichetti and the 2nd Inauguration of Richard Nixon: a Study in Artistic Vision Versus Political Expediency" (PDF). Music & Politics. 12 (1).
  4. ↑ "Richard Nixon and Tex Ritter | The Pop History Dig". pophistorydig.com. Retrieved 2022-10-13.
  5. 1 2 Elsen, William A. (January 25, 1973). "Ceremonial Group Had Busy 5 Weeks". The Washington Post . p. D3.
  6. ↑ Foley, Thomas (January 25, 1973). "Thousands in Washington Brave Cold to Say Goodbye to Johnson". The Los Angeles Times . p. A1.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Haynes; Witcover, Jules (January 26, 1973). "LBJ Buried in Beloved Texas Hills". The Washington Post. p. A1.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.