Booktv anytime at booktv. Org. [applause] thank you so much. Waiting for the introduction. It is wonderful to be here. Such a Great American institution as the rotary club and speaking about a Great American tradition. President ial Inauguration Day and doing so here, and a Great American venue. Queen mary of course. So, lets begin. It is done on Inauguration Day. In washington d. C. Huge amount of people gather on the washington mall. In 2009 it was all away from the capital all the way to the Lincoln Memorial. We just lost our picture. Here we go. They are there of course putting on operation. They were there for the inauguration. People gathered in other places new york city, classrooms around the country, in paris, iraq, afghanistan. People are watching the us president ial inauguration. They have all come there. There is a big crowd on the mall. Im going to. Guest you today about this great history accepted. This Great American institution. I am not ai am going to do it in the same way in which i organize the book. Rather, the book is not chronological. It is not divided of where it starts off with George Washington and then john adams. Instead it is by various parts of the day. And within each part of the day and sprinkle in vignettes. Some serious and some traditional. A lot of them are oddball events. Because i was looking for those two. I am also going to cover some things that were not going to see in the upcoming inauguration in january. Because this time we do not have a change of power. So we are not going to have that transition as we sometimes. But nevertheless, in the morning on inaugurations, when a president does leave office, in 1961 here is Dwight D Eisenhower thinking the staff at the white house. At the same time, the incoming president garcia john f. Kennedy and his wife jacqueline are leaving the blair house getting ready for the big day. Another thing, another thing that takes place on inauguration morning, and this will happen again is a religious service. When i was in washington with my wife a few years ago just and a half block from where youre staying there was a church of the first ame church. A traditional africanamerican church. That is where the inauguration Church Services took place for americas first black president bill clinton. [laughter] now, i have a little map here for you. Things start off at the white house and they move along pennsylvania avenue towards the capital which is on the right there. And there is a traditional copy at the white house that takes place. It is a big deal on the days when there is a transition from one president to another. Again, 1961. That was a year when a lot of pictures were made available. We just do not normally see these pictures. There is eisenhower and kennedy to get it. At the same time you have four women together in these four women actually were the first a the first ladies of our country. Between 1953 and 1974. That is meenie eisenhower the outgoing first lady with her back to us that is Lady Bird Johnson. There is Jacqueline Kennedy became the new first lady in 1961. And then pat nixon who is the outgoing wife of the Vice President at that time. Another thing that takes place on Inauguration Day when there is a change of power is not by tradition, the outgoing president leaves a note for his successor. This is the note ab large envelope that was left in the oval office by george w. Bush for barack obama. Inside it was another book that says 244 from 43. The next morning this is barack obama reading the actual note. The procession to the capital is always a big deal. As we move along pennsylvania avenue there. And here is a picture from exactly 100 years ago. An open carriage and that is William Howard taft on the right. And the new president , Woodrow Wilson on the left. In 1933, we had a situation with Franklin D Roosevelt in herbert hoover. The two of them did not get along so well. There wasnt a lot of conversation during their ride to the capital. Many pictures that were taken that day, roosevelt can be seen waving to the crowd or smiling to the crowd for turning toward hoover and trying to have a conversation. But in every picture you ever see hoover is just looking straight ahead ignoring him. There have been other times also where the president s, new and old did not get along so well. And those i mentioned in my book the chapter is called cant we all get along. Sometimes if there is a big issue, here is 1909, that is William Howard taft driving together with teddy roosevelt. We cant see them but they are in the carriage. And here is the route they take care that is pennsylvania avenue heading toward the capital. Now from 1829, all the way through 1977, which covers the great majority of american inaugurations, they took place on the east side of the capital. The east side. If you have been to washington then you know that is where the side with the library of congress is an the United States supreme court. So here is what that looks like today on any given day. That is the east side of the capital. And that is what it looks like when they used to spruce it up for the inauguration. They have a platform in front of it. Heres another view, you can see the platform there to the left. There is a press stand in the middle where the crowd gathers. But in 1981, everything switched. They decided to move it to the west side of the capital. And that is much larger. It allows for four more people to actually see the ceremony. Heres what the west side looks like. Most days. And when they jazz it up for the inauguration. Put up the flags. This is what weve seen since 1981. There is another view when you can look all the way back at Washington Monument and sort of be seen there at the background and the Lincoln Memorial is even all the way, even further than that. The inaugural ceremony itself, now we had an implication here today. There is normally an invocation at the inauguration also. And the court found took place in 1961 when Cardinal Cushing deliver the invocation at kennedys inauguration. And the platform actually started to catch fire. You can see the smoke right there. You can see on marshall just to the right of the cardinal looking to put it out. You can also see the looks of concern on eisenhower and kennedy space. [laughter] no question about that. There was just a short in the electrical system. Now another thing taking place four times in our history has been a poet delivering a poem at the president ial inauguration. The first time that ever took place was in 1961. There was a lot happening that year. Vice president johnson botched the Vice President ial abut here, dealing with the poem that is robert frost famous poet. The first poet to ever speak at a president ial inauguration. I think this is a good time for me to read an excerpt from the book. You all probably remember the famous poem called the road not taken. Written by frost. Here is my chapter called the poem not spoken. In 1961, 86yearold robert frost became the first poet to ever be invited to speak at a president ial inauguration. In the days leading up to john f. Kennedys inauguration, frost wrote a special poem for the acacian fault dedication. There was a major snowstorm on the night before the ceremony. On the date of the inauguration however, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was blue. Frost was about to begin to read his poem but the very bright clear of the snow prevented him from being to see his manuscript clearly. This was one of the worlds most famous poet he could not read his own words. New Vice PresidentLyndon Johnson stood up and made an effort to create some shade for frost with a top hat. But it did not help. You can actually see that in the picture. Johnson is standing next to frost holding a top hat. Frost could be heard to say, im not having a good light. And i cant see in the sun. So instead frost delivered an older poem, the gift outright. One of which he had memorized. But even then, problems for him did not end. He concluded his presentation by informing that his poetry had been dedicated to the president elect mr. Mr. John finley. [laughter] frost had inadvertently stated the name of a scholar from harvard. Finley knew frost. Finley may have been a friend of frost. But he was no jack kennedy. [laughter] here is a depiction of George Washingtons inauguration. The first one in 1789 which took place in new york city which was the capital at the time. The next two inauguration took place in philadelphia. The first one in washington was in 1801. There is a myth, a legend that washington added the words so help me god at the end of the oath. But there is no real proof that he said that. Nobody ever wrote that he added those four words at the time. But it has come to be a tradition, at least from 1933 to the present. Those words have been added at the end of the oath. This is 1929. On the left is chief justice William Howard taft and his administering the oath of office to the new president herbert hoover. He is the only person ever to be both president and chief justice. He actually made a mistake in the oath that year. He was supposed to say preserve, protect and defend. Hes a preserved maintain and defend. That was a mistake that was discovered by a 13yearold girl listening to the inauguration on radio in her classroom in the state of new york. She is the one who brought it to everybodys attention and they checked it out and she was right. So that was a mistake in the oath. Which leads us to four years ago. You may recall that when chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to barack obama on january 20 2009 there was a major problem. The major problem consisted of the words that he said. He was supposed to say, that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States. But instead of saying those words he said i will execute the office of president to the United States. Faithfully. [laughter] then barack obama stopped. He paused. He smiled as if to say, come on man . This is my big day. [laughter] you have to get this right. But unfortunately, he did not get it right and then obama even later repeated some of the mistakes. So, the very next night in the white house they did it again. There was a second oath, this time robert used notes which he had not used the first time and they got it right. So, that chapter in my book is called oops, they did it again. In 1965 Lady Bird Johnson became the first, first lady to hold the bible as the oath was administered. That was a precedent and has been the case ever since. You can see here from kennedys inauguration four years earlier, Jackie Kennedy is off to the left of the picture. Shes not holding the bible. It was instilled held by James Browning who was a clerk of the supreme court. Some more pictures to show you, this is Ronald Reagan swearing in 1981, jimmy carter outgoing president the right of the picture. Here is bill clinton in 1993. Now here is 1985. This is reagans second inauguration. Notice the different locale. The reason is because the weather was so bad in washington d. C. In 1985, he was a windchill factor of below zero. So everything got canceled, the parade got canceled, they moved the oath taken indoors into the capitol rotunda. So they were only about a thousand people squeezed in. The weather has been a problem other times as i mentioned. This is from 1989. This is benjamin harrison. Then in 1945, this was Franklin D Roosevelt for the inauguration. The world was going on, he was not feeling well and was ill. Everything was moved to the white house. He took the oath on ai one of the balconies they are at the white house. So, you know fdr had for inauguration. This is my tribute for you for the day. You will be able to impress your friends. Barack obama about to type Franklin D Roosevelts record. How could that be you say . Roosevelt was inaugurated four times. Well, we already obama was inaugurated twice. The inauguration this year is on a sunday. Will take the oath then, then the next day january 21 again. That is what happens when Inauguration Day falls on a sunday. Here is eisenhower on january 20 1957 which was a sunday or a private ceremony. Inaugural address this is a very old picture. This is from 1865. This is abraham lincolns second inauguration. A very famous speech there in which he said with malice toward none, charity for all. And 1933 Franklin D Roosevelt, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. John f. Kennedy in 1961. Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Then the departure of the old president here is george w. Bush departing the scene on the back of the capital four years ago. Client off in the helicopter looking back at the capital. Then there is a luncheon. Obamas luncheon four years ago. Then he returned to the white house after that. This is the first time that a first lady ever drove back to the white house with a president. This is the kennedys, the obamas walk part of the distance. Jimmy carter and Rosalynn Carter walked the entire distant of 1 and a half miles in 1977 from the capital back to the white house. Then the inaugural parade that will take place. The reviewing stand is always set up in the white house. Back in 1885, there is the white house in the background. Here is a classic inaugural parade picture. You see the band marching. In 1953 famous cowboy named monty montana lassoed Dwight Eisenhower with his permission. [laughter] in the afternoon of Inauguration Day back in 1829 there was sort of a stampede in the white house. They had a big party and the people of the place. Of the white house with their muddy boots and big curtains, wrecked carpet. Finally the fiasco ended when somebody got the brilliant idea of putting a large tub of whiskey out onto the white house lawn. Slowly but surely everybody left. The inagural ball at night. This is 1953. The kennedys and 61, george and laura bush, barack and Michelle Obama. Unplanned inaugurations but also a big part of Inauguration Day. Well not really the Inauguration Day but part of inauguration history. You cannot deny that many of us even remember 49 years ago will be the 50th anniversary of the assassination of john f. Kennedy. Followed by Lyndon Johnson being sworn in aboard air force one in dallas. He was sworn in by Federal District judge hughes. Shes the only one to ever swear in a president. Here is gerald ford being sworn in in the white house in 1974 after Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace. And here is a picture of this is my final story for the day, this is, this story actually inspires me more than any other to write this book. This is Calvin Coolidge in 1923 when he became president after the death of warren harding. At the time of hardings death, he was staying with his father. In a very small cottage in vermont. A place that had no running water, no electricity, no telephone, and internet. They did not have any of those things. And so, a courier came by to present the news that harding had died. And everyone wanted ato be sworn in as soon as possible. So the question was, who would do it . Who would swear in the president . The answer turned out to be his own father. His own father, John Coolidge was a local justice of the peace and a notary public. And by the light of an old kerosene lamp at 2 47 am on august 3, 1923, Justice Alito swore in his son calvin as the new president. So that is pretty much it. Hopefully this all hq and helps you when you do the inauguration coming right up. Thank you very much. [applause] we have some time for questions. If there are questions im happy to try to answer them. Who was the first president to walk between the capital in the white house to. Can you repeat that please . Was the first president to walk, get out of the vehicle and walked to the white house. That was jimmy and rosalynn part. It was a total shock. I mean the secret service nail but not the public, they did not know, the press did not know. They just never got into the car. They walked the entire distant. Since then, other president s and first ladies have walked part of the distance. Part of the distance. George and laura bush, the clintons, of course barack and Michelle Obama as well. How many president s died after the inaugural . Tommy president s done after the inaugural in office . There have been eight times, i believe the number is eight where we had change of power in that way. One was a resignation. There have been four assassinations, four times president s were assassinated. And the other deaths in office. [inaudible] William Henry harrison in 1841. He was our oldest present at the time. He was 68. [laughter] at that time he was. And he spoke. He gave his inaugural address for two hours. In cold weather. He caught pneumonia, he got exactly one month later. [laughter] who was the first president to hold the inauguration on the west side of the capital, any background on that week Ronald Reagan was the first one that had on the west side of the capital. My understanding is that it was senator of oregon idea. Reagan thought it was a great idea. He would beginning to face california. He liked that idea. But the biggest factor was the fact that, so many more people can now view it. Now you just, 1. 8 Million People were there for obamas inauguration. Four years ago. By far the biggest. They can give out about 140 or 150,000 tickets. The rest of the people just show up and stand here. But when it used to be on the east side, there were more than 20,000 people who could do the actual ceremony. A lot more could of course be present for the parade. And often times there were more than a Million People for the parade but not for the ceremony itself. Are all of the pictures that you showed on the slides, those pictures in your book week. Not quite all of them but many of them yes. I have many pictures in my books that were not part of the slideshow. There were some here that are not in the book. If you take a look at the book, youll see. I have more than 50 pictures in the book. [inaudible] they do say it costs a lot. I do not have an exact figure. I would hope it would be somewhat scaledback this time. Not only because of the economy but it is a second inauguration. By definition, the second inauguration is not quite the same in importance as the first. There is no change of power. No transition. It is a continuation. They have not made an announcement of what it will be like this year. But i was actually recently interviewed by aon every subject. Someone wrote on this it is on the internet it is called we need a second inauguration . I do not think that the country would out all of this together back. Has any president elect died before inauguration . No. Roosevelt in 1932 . With the Vice President elect take over . I believe that is correct. Thank you. One more quick question. [inaudible] he was ever civil war president. Washington is said to be in harms aat the time of his inauguration with sharpshooters on all of the rooftops. Sort of like it is not. Ive been to the last three reasons. Ever since 2001 it is big time security. It was definitely that way in 1861 and 1865 as well. Thank you very much. [applause] this weekend on American History to be on cspan three, tonight at nine eastern, Santa Clara University looks at the world of gay bars in American History. Many closeted gays go to their first gay bar. For example san franciscos black cat. And in these bars they find out that theyre not the only ones. That there are lots of people who are atypical sexually. And when the world is over they do not want to return to their small towns and smalltown closets. Many settled instead in the cities where they first experienced self acceptance. At 1030, government policymakers and officials talk about the 1991 aact about dismantling soviet nuclear and chemical weapons. What we found is that the russians, the nuclear complex was not an inheritance ato them, it was the means for the revival of a great russia. Sunday evening at 6 00 p. M. On american artifacts. Fdr president ial library amatthew hansen, National ArchivesMotion Picture preservationist Christina Kovach on her effort to afranklin d was of utmost important speeches. Films based on historical significance, frequency of how awas requested. And quality of the footage as well. November. And at 8 00 p. M. The history professor gil troy looks at us israeli relations from president harry truman to barack obama. I told the house of representatives it is political suicide. If i did not support this. Does athis is the participation part. For a complete American History t. V. Schedule go to cspan. Org. Hello everyone walking to the National Constitution center. I am for those of you do not know me i am tom donnelly senior fellow for constitutional studies. Thank you so much for coming this afternoon for should be a tacular progm