 First correct composite photograph made of President Coolidge's first dramatic inaugural in Plymouth, VT. The oath is being administered by notary Colonel John Coolidge, the president's father, and witnessed by Mrs. Grace Coolidge, Porter H. Dale, and Leonard L. Lane. | |
| Date | August 3, 1923; 102 years ago (1923-08-03) August 21, 1923 |
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| Location | Coolidge Homestead, Plymouth Notch,Vermont (August 3) Willard Hotel, Washington, D.C. (August 21) |
| Participants | Calvin Coolidge 30th president of the United States — Assuming office John Calvin Coolidge Sr. Vermontjustice of the peace — Administering oath (August 3) Adolph A. Hoehling Jr. Associate Justice of theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia — Administering oath (August 21) |
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48th Governor of Massachusetts 30th President of the United States
Vice Presidential and Presidential campaigns Post-presidency   | ||
Thefirst inauguration of Calvin Coolidge as the 30thpresident of the United States was held on Friday, August 3, 1923, at theCoolidge Homestead inPlymouth Notch, Vermont, following the death of PresidentWarren G. Harding the previous evening. Theinauguration – the sixth non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to ever take place – marked the commencement of the first term (a partial term of 1 year, 213 days) ofCalvin Coolidge as president. Thepresidential oath of office was administered to the new president by his father,John Calvin Coolidge Sr., who was a Vermontnotary public andjustice of the peace.[1][2] On Tuesday, August 21, 1923, President Coolidge repeated the oath before JusticeAdolph A. Hoehling Jr. of theCourt of the District of Columbia at theWillard Hotel,Washington, D.C.
Vice PresidentCalvin Coolidge was visiting his family property, theCoolidge Homestead, in Vermont, which did not haveelectricity or atelephone, when he received word by messenger of Harding's death.[3] As the new president, Coolidge intended to take the oath of office and greet reporters who had assembled outside. He dressed in an upstairs bedroom, said aprayer, and came downstairs.[3][4]
In front of a small group of observers, including Coolidge's wifeGrace andUnited States RepresentativePorter H. Dale, his father,John Calvin Coolidge Sr., a Vermontnotary public andjustice of the peace,[5] administered theoath of office. The swearing in took place in John Coolidge's family parlor by the light of akerosene lamp at 2:47 a.m. on August 3, 1923; President Coolidge then went back to bed.
Dale was campaigning for theUnited States Senate when he heard of Harding's death. He traveled to John Coolidge's home with reporter Joe Fountain, Herbert P. Thompson, the commander ofSpringfield'sAmerican Legion Post, and labor union official L. L. Lane.[6] Dale had intended to ensure that Calvin Coolidge was informed that Harding had died, and to offer any assistance he could provide. As a result, Fountain was the only reporter present for the oath-taking.[7] By most accounts, it was Dale who suggested persistently that Coolidge be sworn in immediately to ensure continuity in the presidency. Dale later wrote an account of this event which was published as a magazine article.[8][9][10] The ceremony was recreated for photographers the following morning.[11] The Coolidge State Park is now nearby.
Albert W. Harvey, theUnited States Marshal for theDistrict of Vermont, arrived in Plymouth about three hours after Coolidge was sworn in. He acted as bodyguard for Coolidge untilSecret Service agents from Boston took over the duty after they caught up to his train inRutland while he was returning toWashington, D.C.[12]
Coolidge returned to Washington the next day, and JusticeAdolph A. Hoehling Jr. of theCourt of the District of Columbia administered the oath a second time, on August 21, 1923, as there was a question about whether a state official had the authority to administer the federal presidential oath.[13][14] TheUnited States Constitution requires the president to take an oath at the beginning of his term, but it does not identify the person or officer who is to administer the oath.[15] It is traditional for theChief Justice of the United States to administer the oath, but that is not a constitutional requirement. WhenGeorge Washington wassworn in on April 30, 1789, neither theSupreme Court nor any other part of the federal judiciary had been created. The oath was administered byRobert Livingston, aNew York state judicial officer.
Hoehling kept the second swearing-in a secret until confirmingHarry M. Daugherty's revelation of it in 1932.[16] When Hoehling confirmed Daugherty's story, he indicated that Daugherty, then serving asUnited States Attorney General, asked him to administer the oath at theWillard Hotel.[16] According to Hoehling, he did not question Daugherty's reason for requesting a second oath-taking, but assumed it was to resolve any doubt about whether the first swearing-in was valid (it was), since it had been administered by a state official.[16]
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