Event Savvy: Inaugurations Past and Present
A snapshot of inaugurations from yesterday and today
Published in January 2009 event savvy | political events | Departments
“I do solemnly swear 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 of America.”
1809
James Madison. The first inaugural ball held at Long’s Hotel in Washington, D.C. Tickets sold for $4 each.
1841
William Henry Harrison. Harrison delivers the longest inauguration speech on record at 8,445 words while standing in the cold with no overcoat or gloves. He dies of pneumonia one month later.
1873
Ulysses S. Grant. Coldest March Inauguration Day on record. The ball is held in a temporary building with no heat or insulation. Guests dance in their overcoats and hats. The event runs out of coffee and hot chocolate; the food, as well as the decorative caged canaries, freeze.
1921
Warren G. Harding. Harding requests that the inaugural committee do away with the elaborate ball and parade, hoping to set an example of thrift and simplicity.
1937
Franklin D. Roosevelt. First inauguration held on Jan. 20. An amendment to the Constitution moves the official Inauguration Day from March 4 to Jan. 20, where it remains today.
1997
William Jefferson Clinton. Clinton’s second inauguration holds a record number of inaugural balls: 14.
Source: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
{Planner Perspective} What drink would you serve to celebrate Obama’s Inauguration?
“I’d create something smooth with a slight ‘swagger’ to match the personality of our new president. A great vodka martini with a hint of pineapple (in a nod to his upbringing in Hawaii) would be simply marvelous!”
What about entertainment?
“The new president is young and hip — his iPod carries riffs of Jay-Z, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, so I’d go for the intensity of hip-hop, then mellow it out with classic R&B. Since he is a huge fan of Jay-Z, a special performance featuring ‘Mr. Carter’ would be the crowning touch.”
— Linnyette Richardson-Hall, creative director and principal consultant for Baltimore-based Premiere Event Management
“How do they celebrate without being too glitzy? I think we’re going to see a lot less bling.”
— Laura Schwartz, a commentator, speaker and consultant who is covering the inaugural balls for CBS’ “The Early Show” and is the featured speaker at the 2009 Event Solutions and Catersource Conference & Tradeshow this February
“For me, it’s historic in the sense that I know I’ll never get to work on anything like this project again.”
— Reginald S. Roberson, of Atlanta-based Lavish Lifestyles, who is producing VIP suites and coordinating talent for the We the People Inaugural Celebration at FedExField on Jan. 20