"ALSO PROVIDES FOR CONVENING CONGRESS IN JANUARY"

HOUSE TO CONSIDER PROPOSAL FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT MOVING INAUGURATION TO JANUARY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On April 3, 1924, a committee of the United States House of Representatives reported out the (George) Norris* resolution proposing a constitutional amendment providing for the inauguration of the POTUS & VPOTUS in January.

The resolution, already approved by the U.S. Senate, also provides for the convening of the Congress on the first Monday in January following the election.

The Evening Star reports that the House committee has "already...approved a similar resolution" proposed by Congressman White (R-Kansas).

*George William Norris (1861-1944) was born in York Township, Ohio & represented the state of Nebraska in the US House of Representatives 1903-1913 & US Senate 1913-1843,

JFK+50 NOTE

By the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1933) the date of the presidential inauguration was changed from March 4 to January 20.  The main reason for the change was to shorten the length of time between the November election and the inauguration. 

The first inauguration to which the 20th amendment was applied was the second inaugural of FDR on January 20, 1937.

SOURCE

"Report Measure To Change Date Of Inauguration," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., April 3, 1924, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

 

 

 The Seal of the President of the United States

1915

Bailey, Banks & Biddle of Philadelphia

Woodrow Wilson Papers

Library of Congress

"NORRIS AMENDMENT TO FACE TOUGH GO IN HOUSE"

SENATE APPROVES JANUARY INAUGRATION OF PRESIDENT & VP

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On February 13, 1923, the United States senate approved the (George) Norris* amendment to the Constitution which would "eliminate the present session of an old Congress after election of a new Congress and change the date of inauguration of President from March 4 to the third Monday in January."

The Evening Star, speculating that the amendment will face a tough go in the House, reports that the amendment "is probably the first proposed change in the constitution to be approved by the Senate after coming out of any committee other than judiciary**."

JFK+50 NOTE

The Norris amendment did not pass the House of Representatives in 1923, but on March 2, 1932 the Congress passed the 20th Amendment which was ratified in 1933.

The 20th amendment provides that the new Congress will begin on January 3rd & the President & Vice-President will be inaugurated on January 20th.

The amendment shortened the period of time between the presidential election in November and the inauguration from four months to two and a half months.  This period is generally referred to as 'lame duck.'

*George William Norris (1861-1944) was born near Clyde, Ohio & served in the US House of Representatives (R-Nebraska) 1903-1913 & Senate 1913-1943.  GWN is the namesake of Norris Dam in East TN & planner of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).  He was the 1st to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame.

**The amendment was reported out of the Agriculture Committee of which George W. Norris was chairman.

SOURCES

"January Congress and Inauguration Given Senate O.K.," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., February 13, 1923, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

"George W. Norris: U.S. Legislator," Nebraska Public Media, www.nebraskastudies.org/

Senator George W. Norris

(R-Nebraska)

Harris & Ewing Photo

Library of Congress

"NEW CONGRESS INSTALLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER ELECTION?"

SENATE COMMITTEE PROPOSES AMENDMENT TO END TO LAME DUCKS

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) On November 28, 1922, an amendment to the United States Constitution was reported out of the Senate agriculture committee "which would require that a new Congress take office immediately after it had been selected instead of in the March following."

According to the Evening Star, there was not much discussion on the proposed amendment before it was reported out although another resolution submitted by Senator Thaddeus H. Caraway* (D-Arkansas) that proposed congressional "lame ducks"** be prohibited from voting was postponed indefinitely.

*Thaddeus H. Caraway (1871-1931) was born in Springhill, Missouri & graduated from  Dickson (TN) College, 1896.  THC served in the US House of Representatives 1913-1921 & US Senate 1921-1931.

**Lame Duck is a term for an official in the final period of office after the election of his or her successor but who continues to serve until that successor is sworn-in. 

JFK+50 NOTE

The 20th "Lame Duck" amendment (1933) moved inauguration of a new presidential term from March 4 to January 20 & the beginning of new terms for members of Congress from March 4 to January 3.

 SOURCE

"Senators Would End Lame Ducks Four-Month Term," The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., November 28, 1922, Chronicling America, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/

 

 

Lame Duck

www.flickr.com/

"MARCH 4: A FORGOTTEN HUGE DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY"

INAUGURATION DAY: 1793-1933

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) George Washington was inaugurated for his second term on March 4, 1793.  34 more presidential inaugurations would be held on the 4th of March with the last coming for FDR's first inaugural in 1933.

The Constitution Center describes March 4th as "a forgotten huge day in American history."  According to the Center, the Confederation Congress chose March 4, 1789 as the date for the transfer of government under the new Constitution of the United States.  On that day, the 1st Congress met in New York City where James Madison of Virginia presented the Bill of Rights.

There were a few inauguration dates switched to March 5th when March 4th fell on a Sunday and, of course, some POTUS were sworn in on alternate dates due to the deaths of their predecessors.  The March 4th date was changed to January 20th with passage of the 20th Amendment in 1933.  The date of the start of the new Congress was also switched to January 3rd.

Following is a list of the inaugurations held on March 4th...

George Washington                 1793

John Adams                                 1797

Thomas Jefferson                      1801-1805

James Madison                           1809-1813

James Monroe                             1817-1821

John Q. Adams                            1825

Andrew Jackson                         1829-1833

Martin Van Buren                     1837

William H. Harrison                1841

James K. Polk                              1845

Zachary Taylor                          1849

Franklin Pierce                           1853

James Buchanan                        1857

Abraham Lincoln                       1861-1865

Ulysses S. Grant                          1869-1873

Rutherford B. Hayes                  1877

James A. Garfield                        1881

Grover Cleveland                         1885-1893

Benjamin Harrison                     1889

William McKinley                       1897-1901

Theodore Roosevelt                    1905

William H. Taft                            1909

Woodrow Wilson                         1913

Warren Harding                          1921

Calvin Coolidge                            1925

Herbert Hoover                            1929

Franklin D. Roosevelt                1933

SOURCE

"March 4:  A forgotten huge day in American history," Constitution Daily, March 4, 2013, www.constitutioncenter.org/

Grandstand Ticket to Inaugural Parade

for President Herbert Hoover

March 4, 1929

Presidential Inaugural Committee

by Centpacrr

commons.wikimedia.org

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR

JANUARY 20TH:  FROM JFK TO TRUMP

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th POTUS fifty-seven years ago, January 20, 1961.  It has been one year since the 45th POTUS, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated.  Between the two, eight POTUS* have been inaugurated on this date.

In 1933, the date of presidential inaugurations was moved from March 4th to January 20th**, but the first inauguration held on the new date was not until 1937 when Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for a second term.

Julia Guilardi explains the reason for moving up the inaugural date.  In 1933, the nation was in the worst economic depression in its history.  The times required immediate action, but FDR, elected in November 1932, could not do anything for four long months.  Moving the date of the inauguration back more than a month would help remedy that problem in the future.

Presidential inaugurations held on January 20 from 1937 to 1977 were held on the East Portico of the United States Capitol here in Washington, D.C. with the exception of 1945 when FDR's 4th inaugural was held on the South Portico of the White House.

Presidential inaugurations held on January 20 from 1981 to 2017 were held on the West Front of the United States Capitol with the exception of 1985 when Ronald Reagan's 2nd inaugural was held in the Capitol Rotunda due to frigid temperatures.

*LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, & Obama.

**The change was made with ratification of the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution on Jan 23, 1933.  The amendment moved the beginning & ending dates for the terms of the President & Vice-President from March 4 to Jan 20 & members of Congress from March 4 to Jan 3.

SOURCE

"This is why Inauguration Day is held on January 20", by Julia Guilardi, January 18, 2017, www.boston.com/

JFK Takes Oath of Office
January 20, 1961

Photo by Chief Signal Officer

DJT Takes Oath of Office

January 20, 2017

White House Photo

INAUGURATION DAY

MARCH 4, 1793 TO MARCH 4, 1933

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) From President George Washington's second Inaugural in 1793, March 4th has been Inauguration Day, with few exceptions, until President Franklin D. Roosevelt's first Inaugural in 1933.  The exceptions were when the date fell on a Sunday.  Those Inaugurals were held on Monday, March 5th.

The first Inauguration was held in New York City on April 30, 1789, and after passage of the 20th Amendment, the date was moved to January 20th.  The move was helpful to reduce the length of time between the election of a president and the Inauguration.

The last March 4th Inauguration was the first of four for Franklin D. Roosevelt. FDR was sworn in 82 years ago today by Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes on the East Front of the United States Capitol.

Standing in the rain on a gloomy day in an equally gloomy economic period of our nation's history, Governor Roosevelt placed his hand on the family Dutch Bible published in 1686. 

FDR repeated the Oath of Office on the oldest Bible ever to be used in an inauguration.

FDR and Eleanor in Inaugural Parade

LINCOLN'S SECOND INAUGURATION 150 YEARS AGO TODAY

Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) A century and a half ago today, March 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in for his second term as President of the United States.

Weeks of rain left the streets of the Nation's Capital in mud and standing water, but the completed Capitol Dome above the President's head was a visible symbol that the United States had survived during the catastrophic Civil War.

President Lincoln concluded what many scholars deem as the best presidential inaugural address ever given with these words....

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Lincoln's Second Inauguration
March 4, 1865
Photo by Alexander Gardner
Library of Congress Image