 Jimmy Carter takes theoath of office as the 39thpresident of the United States | |
| Date | January 20, 1977; 48 years ago (1977-01-20) |
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| Location | United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. |
| Organized by | Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies |
| Participants | Jimmy Carter 39th president of the United States — Assuming office Warren E. Burger Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath Walter Mondale 42nd vice president of the United States — Assuming office Tip O'Neill Speaker of the United States House of Representatives — Administering oath |
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Personal 76th Governor of Georgia 39th President of the United States Tenure   | ||
Theinauguration ofJimmy Carter as the 39thpresident of the United States was held on Thursday, January 20, 1977, at the East Portico of theUnited States Capitol inWashington D.C. This was the 48th inauguration and marked the commencement of the only term of both Carter as president andWalter Mondale asvice president.Chief JusticeWarren E. Burger administered thepresidential oath of office to Carter,[1] andSpeaker of the HouseTip O'Neill administered thevice presidential oath of office to Mondale.[1] This was the last inauguration held on the East Portico of the Capitol building as well as the last time the chief justice would stand to the left of the podium, with the audience facing them, while swearing in a president. Exactly forty years later, Carter attended thefirst inauguration of Donald Trump, becoming the first U.S. president to mark the 40th anniversary of his inauguration.
Carter took the Oath with a FamilyBible, opened toMicah 6:8 and also the sameBible used by George Washington at his1789 inauguration. The Bible that originally belonged to Washington was at the time in the possession of St. John's Mason Lodge No. 1.[1] The weather was cold, but sunny, with a wind chill factor in the teens.[1] The estimated noon time temperature was at around 28 °F (−2 °C),[1] but the cold did not stop many excited spectators from catching a glimpse of the new president being sworn into office. Carter took the oath of office using his nickname "Jimmy", instead of his actual name James Earl; he was the first president to use a nickname in any official capacity, and the only to use it during his swearing in.[a][2][3]
Carter's inaugural address was 1,228 words long.[1] In it, he spoke of bringing "a new spirit among us all", and urged Americans to "reject the prospect of failure or mediocrity".[4] He also expressed his desire that someday "the nations of the world might say that we had built a lasting peace, built not on weapons of war but on international policies which reflect our own most precious values".[4]
Benedictions were given by Catholic archbishopJohn Roach and Methodist bishopWilliam Ragsdale Cannon.[5]
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Carter became the first president to walk from the Capitol to theWhite House in the post-ceremony parade.[1] Carter also requested that the traditional Inaugural luncheon, an event hosted by theJoint Congressional Inaugural Committee, be canceled.[1] Coverage of the event was provided byCBS[6] and the ceremony was televised throughout theUnited States.
The Carter Inauguration was the first following the opening of the Metro system and, in part because the inaugural committee paid to make the system free all day, it set a single day ridership record of 68,023 riders, a record that would last until the system was expanded the following July.[7]
Songs performed at Carter's inauguration includedWillie Nelson's "Crazy," sung byLinda Ronstadt;Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," sung byAretha Franklin; "Take Care of This House" from theBroadway musical1600 Pennsylvania Avenue byLeonard Bernstein andAlan Jay Lerner, performed byFrederica von Stade and theNational Symphony Orchestra; and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" fromGeorge Gershwin'sPorgy and Bess (lyrics byDuBose Heyward), sung byDonnie Ray Albert andClamma Dale.[8] Additionally,America the Beautiful was performed by theUnited States Marine Band, and theBattle Hymn of the Republic was sung by selected voices fromAtlanta University, Clark,Morehouse,Morris Brown, andSpelman Colleges, and theInterdenominational Theological Center.[1] Thenational anthem was performed by Cantor Isaac Goodfriend ofAtlanta, aHolocaust survivor.[9]
