In theUnited States,state funerals are the official funerary rites conducted by thefederal government in the nation's capital,Washington, D.C., that are offered to a sitting or formerpresident, apresident-elect, high government officials and other civilians who have rendered distinguished service to the nation.[1][2] Administered by theMilitary District of Washington (MDW), a command unit of theJoint Force Headquarters National Capital Region, state funerals are greatly influenced byprotocol, steeped intradition, and rich inhistory. However, the overall planning as well as the decision to hold a state funeral, is largely determined by the family of the honoree, upon invitation by the government.[3]
The first generalmourning was proclaimed in the United States in 1790, upon the death ofBenjamin Franklin, and in 1799, following the death ofGeorge Washington. Preparations for Franklin's funeral after his death on April 17, 1790, included afuneral procession to thePennsylvania State House (now known asIndependence Hall) inPhiladelphia and burial atChrist Church Burial Ground on April 21. It is estimated that 20,000 mourners gathered for Franklin's funeral. The cortege was composed of Philadelphia society, ranging from MayorSamuel Powel to American astronomerDavid Rittenhouse.[4]Muffled bells rang and flags on the mast of ships as well as atop all government buildings flew athalf-staff. TheUnited States Congress convened inNew York City, which at the time served as the nation's capital, and passed aconcurrent resolution observing an official period of mourning for one month. TheFrench National Assembly, at the suggestion ofHonoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau, was so moved by the death of Franklin that the legislature observed a three-day period of mourning.[5]
When Washington died at hisMount Vernon plantation on December 14, 1799,Congress, then meeting in Philadelphia, selectedHenry Lee III to give a eulogy. Mock funerals were held all over the United States. An elaborate mock funeral was held in Philadelphia on December 26. At dawn, sixteen cannons were fired and volleys were shot on a half-hour basis. An empty casket was carried in a procession which consisted of twomarines wearing black scarves escorting ariderless horse festooned with black and white feathers, and abald eagle depicted on the horse's breast. A religious service was held at the German Lutheran Church officiated by the ReverendWilliam White, anEpiscopal Church in the United States bishop.[6] Washington's death was mourned not just in his own country; the news of his death had a profound effect inEurope. In France,Napoleon Bonaparte asFirst Consul, askedLouis-Marcelin de Fontanes to give a eulogy and ordered a ten-dayrequiem. AllRoyal Navy ships were ordered to lower their ensigns at half-mast.[7]
Washington's actual funeral was a simple ceremony, organized by the localMasonic lodge and held on December 18. In his will, Washington stated, "[I]t is my express desire that my Corpse may be Interred in a private manner, without parade, or funeral Oration." The funeral procession consisted of the president's casket mounted on and using acaisson, foot soldiers, clergy, and a caparisoned, riderless horse. Upon arrival at a red brick tomb on a hillside in the environs of Mount Vernon, the casket was placed on a wood bier for grieving mourners to gather around for a final viewing and clergy to conduct funeral rites. Reverend Thomas Davis, rector ofChrist Church, Alexandria, read the Episcopal Order of Burial. Next, the Reverend James Muir, minister of the AlexandriaPresbyterian Church, and Dr. Elisha Dick, conducted the traditionalMasonic funeral rites.[8]
Two former presidents,Thomas Jefferson andJohn Adams, died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of theDeclaration of Independence. Jefferson's funeral, held inCharlottesville, Virginia, at 5:00 p.m. on July 5, 1826, was simple. No invitations were sent out for the religious service officiated by Reverend Frederick Hatch at the Episcopal Church in Charlottesville. Only friends and family members gathered at his gravesite on the grounds ofMonticello. It is likely that Jefferson's casket was wooden, built by Monticello slaveJohn Hemings.[9]
The funeral ofJohn Adams at the First Congregational Church (now known as theUnited First Parish Church) inQuincy, Massachusetts, was held on July 7 and was attended by an estimated crowd of 4,000 people. Pastor Peter Whitney officiated the service. Although many people in Boston wanted Adams's funeral to be held at theState House using taxpayer money, this idea was rejected by theAdams family. Nevertheless, cannons were fired fromMount Wollaston, bells were rung, and the procession that took the president's casket from theAdams' home to the church was followed by Massachusetts GovernorLevi Lincoln Jr., Harvard University PresidentJohn Thornton Kirkland, members of the state legislature, and United States CongressmanDaniel Webster.[10]
The first state funeral was forWilliam Henry Harrison, who died on April 4, 1841, after only one month in office. As he was the firstU.S. president to die in office, there was no established way of mourning a deceased incumbent president. Alexander Hunter, a Washington merchant, was commissioned to plan the ceremony. Hunter had theWhite House draped in black ribbon and ordered a curtained, upholstered black and white carriage to carry Harrison's casket.[11] An invitation-only religious service was held in theEast Room.Dirges were played by theUnited States Marine Band during the funeral procession to theCongressional Cemetery where interment occurred.[12]
WhenZachary Taylor died on July 9, 1850, 1 year, 4 months into his term of office, he was given a state funeral similar in its details to Harrison's. Behind Taylor's black-and-white caisson, his horse "Old Whitey" followed riderless, with a pair of riding boots reversed in the stirrups.[12]
It was not until theassassination of Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, that the United States experienced a period of truenational mourning, made possible by innovations like therailroad andtelegraph. Inconsolable,Mary Todd Lincoln did not attend Lincoln's religious service in theEast Room of the White House, which was conducted by ReverendPhineas D. Gurley.[12] On theEaster Sunday after Lincoln's death, clergymen around the nation praised the president in their sermons.[13] Millions of people witnessed Lincoln's funeral procession from Washington, D.C., on April 19, 1865,[14] as his casket was transported 1,700 miles (2,700 km) by train through New York City to Springfield, Illinois.[15] Lincoln was the first president tolie in state in theUnited States Capitol Rotunda.[16]
The remains ofJames A. Garfield arrived in the nation's capital on September 21, two days afterhis death. A floral arrangement was mounted on his casket, complemented with ornate "stuffed doves of peace". A large crowd of mourners numbering over 100,000 people viewed his casket as he lay in state in the Capitol rotunda.[12]
When the funeral train ofWilliam McKinley arrived in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 1901, two days afterhis death, the casket was taken to the East Room in the White House where a lavish display of palms, fruit trees, and floral arrangements transversed into theCross Hall. The following day, McKinley's casket was transported to the Capitol rotunda to lie in state.[12]
Warren G. Harding died unexpectedly inSan Francisco on August 2, 1923. When Harding's funeral train arrived atWashington Union Station on August 7, the casket was taken to the East Room in the White House. The following morning, the casket was mounted on a caisson and taken to the Capitol to lie in state. A funeral service was held in the presence of members ofCongress, theCabinet, and dignitaries inside the Capitol rotunda. The silver casket was covered with a flag, a spread eagle, and topped off with red, white, and blue flowers personally designed by Harding's widowFlorence.[12]
Former presidentWilliam Howard Taft, also retiredChief Justice of the United States, was given a state funeral in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 1930, three days after his death. He lay in state in the Capitol rotunda and a funeral service was held at All Souls' Unitarian Church.Herbert Hoover had offered the East Room in the White House for the service. However, the president's widow,Helen Taft, decided that it would be more appropriate at the church of which the president was a member. Justices of theUnited States Supreme Court acted as honorary pallbearers.[17]
Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, inWarm Springs, Georgia,early into his fourth term. Due to ongoing participation of the United States inWorld War II, it was decided that he would not be accorded a state funeral, as any public display of ceremonial pomp during a time of war was deemed inappropriate whileAmerican G.I.s were dying overseas.
However, many Americans flocked to the train tracks to witness thefuneral train from Warm Springs to Washington. His bodylay in repose in theEast Room of the White House. A private funeral service was conducted there; only family members, close friends, high government officials, members of both chambers of the Congress, and heads of foreign missions attended. Though there was no lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, flags were lowered to half-staff at the White House and the Capitol.[18]
After private funeral services were held in Washington, D.C., Roosevelt's remains were transported on a funeral train to his Hyde Park, New York residence,Springwood Estate, for interment.[12]
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John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, inDallas, Texas. The state funeral was the first in the television age,covered live from start to finish, nonstop for 70 hours.[19][20]
Kennedy's body was brought back to Washington after his assassination. Early on November 23, six military pallbearers carried the flag-draped coffin into theEast Room of the White House, where he lay in repose for 24 hours.[21][22] Then, the coffin was carried on a horse-drawncaisson to the Capitol to lie in state. Throughout the day and night, hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket,[23][24] with a quarter million passing through the rotunda during the 18 hours of lying in state.[23]
Kennedy's funeral service was held on November 25 atSt. Matthew's Cathedral.[25] TheRequiem Mass was led byCardinalRichard Cushing.[25] About 1,200 guests, including representatives from over 90 countries, attended.[26][27] After the service, Kennedy was buried atArlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Dying in his suite at theWaldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on October 20, 1964,Herbert Hoover had made plans in 1958 for a state funeral. Accorded with full military honors, over 70 soldiers from theFirst Army atFort Jay onGovernors Island in the city as guards of honor during the funeral service held atSt. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church on October 22. When Hoover's casket arrived in Washington, D.C., on October 23, his remains lay in state in the Capitol rotunda for two days before they were flown toWest Branch, Iowa, for interment.[28]
The state funeral for former presidentDwight D. Eisenhower, who died on March 28, 1969, placed a strong emphasis onmilitary rites in honor of Eisenhower's contribution asSupreme Allied Commander during World War II. Ceremonial and religious aspects also called for flags to be lowered to half-staff for 30 days, a lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, as well as a religious service held atWashington National Cathedral.[29]
On January 22, 1973,Lyndon B. Johnson died of aheart attack. Johnson's state funeral overlapped the mourning period of another former president,Harry S. Truman, who had died one month earlier (on December 26).
Johnson lay in state for two days in the Capitol rotunda, theUnited States Air Force performed a flyover during the funeral procession to the Capitol, and flags were lowered tohalf-staff for 30 days as had been observed for Truman. The Johnson family stayed atBlair House during the state funeral. After funeral services were held atNational City Christian Church on January 25, the Johnsons flew back toTexas where interment later that afternoon occurred at theJohnson ranch inStonewall, Texas.[30]
Ronald Reagan died on June 5, 2004, in Los Angeles, California, from complications ofAlzheimer's disease.His state funeral occurred in Washington, D.C., andSimi Valley, California, where Reagan was interred at theRonald Reagan Presidential Library. 200,000 mourners (5,000 per hour) filed past Reagan's casket in the Capitol rotunda June 9–11, 2004.[31] Over two dozen world leaders listened to eulogies given by President George W. Bush,MayorAnthony A. Williams, former Canadian Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney and former British Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher during a national funeral service held at Washington National Cathedral.[32][33]
Gerald Ford died on December 26, 2006, of arterioscleroticcerebrovascular disease and diffusearteriosclerosis.His state funeral was held inPalm Desert, California, Washington, D.C., andGrand Rapids, Michigan. Eulogies were given at Washington National Cathedral by former PresidentsGeorge H. W. Bush andJimmy Carter, former Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger, journalistTom Brokaw, and sitting PresidentGeorge W. Bush. Ford's remains were then flown to Michigan, where he lay in repose at theGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum inGrand Rapids.[34] On January 3, Ford's remains was taken by motorcade to Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids, where a private funeral service was conducted. After the service, Ford's remains were transported back to the museum for interment.
George H. W. Bush died on November 30, 2018, inHouston, Texas, from complications ofParkinson’s Disease.[35]His state funeral commenced on December 3, when Bush's remains were transported from Texas to Washington, D.C. There he lay in state in the Capitol rotunda until the morning of December 5.[36] On December 5, a funeral service was held at Washington National Cathedral with eulogies delivered by Bush's son and former president,George W. Bush, former Canadian Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney, former SenatorAlan Simpson, and historian and authorJon Meacham. PresidentDonald Trump along with former presidentsBarack Obama,Bill Clinton, andJimmy Carter were also present, as were foreign heads of state and government.[37] Afterwards, Bush was flown back to Texas where his remains lay in repose and a private funeral service was conducted atSt. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston on December 6. Interment occurred later that day at theGeorge Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.[38]
Jimmy Carter died at his home in Plains, Georgia, on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100.[39] This followed his decision in February 2023 to enterhospice care, after being diagnosed withmelanoma in 2015 thatmetastasized to his brain and liver.[40][41]His state funeral was held in Georgia and in Washington, D.C. on January 4–9, 2025. Helay in repose at theCarter Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 4 to 7.[42] In Washington, D.C., he lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda from January 7 to 9. Washington National Cathedral hosted the state funeral service on January 9, 2025, In addition to PresidentJoe Biden, Vice PresidentKamala Harris, and their spouses, attendants included former PresidentsBill Clinton,George W. Bush,Barack Obama, andDonald Trump. Also in attendance were several foreign dignitaries, among them: Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau of Canada and Secretary General of the United NationsAntonio Guterres. President Biden delivered the main eulogy.[43] Later that same day, a private funeral service with his family and close friends was held at Maranatha Baptist Church inPlains, Georgia. Interment took place afterward at theJimmy Carter National Historical Park in Plains.
Ulysses S. Grant died on July 23, 1885, after a battle with throat cancer that had been extensively covered by the press. His funeral was held August 8, 1885, in New York, featuring a funeral procession of 60,000 men as well as a 30-day, nationwide period of mourning. PresidentGrover Cleveland, all the living former presidents, the cabinet, and supreme court justices attended. People who eulogized him likened him toGeorge Washington andAbraham Lincoln, then the nation's two greatest heroes.[44]
On April 18, 1994,Richard Nixonsuffered a stroke in his Park Ridge, New Jersey home and died four days later atNew York Hospital–Cornell Medical Center inManhattan. Despite being a former president eligible for the honor of a full state funeral, in keeping with Nixon’s expressed personal wishes prior to his death, his family opted for a subdued funeral service on the grounds of theRichard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum inYorba Linda, California.[45][46] Consensus was held by members of the Nixon family that had any events occurred at the Capitol, visitors might not be respectful towards the memory of Nixon.[47] After his death, Nixon’s remains were flown to California in an Air Force jet where his body lay in repose at his presidential library from the morning of April 26 until his funeral service the following day. An estimated 42,000 people passed by Nixon’s casket in order to pay their respects. Eulogies were delivered by PresidentBill Clinton, former Secretary of StateHenry Kissinger, SenatorBob Dole, California GovernorPete Wilson, and ReverendBilly Graham. Also in attendance were former PresidentsGerald Ford,Jimmy Carter,Ronald Reagan,George H. W. Bush, and their wives. After the funeral service concluded, Nixon was buried beside his wifePat, who died ten months earlier.[48][49][31][50]
The first non-presidential state funeral was for Rep.Thaddeus Stevens in 1868. When Stevens died on August 11, mourners came to his home in Washington, D.C., to pay their respects, including U.S. SenatorCharles Sumner of Massachusetts. Stevens's remains were transported by a cavalry regiment to the Capitol where he lay in state in the rotunda on August 13, 1868, until the morning of August 14. After a short funeral service, Stevens's remains were taken toLancaster, Pennsylvania, for interment.[51]
The Unknown Soldier
In 1921, a state funeral was conducted for theUnknown Soldier ofWorld War I. The idea of honoring the unknown dead of World War I originated in Europe, the first being the United Kingdom and France on November 11, 1920. Other nations such as Italy soon followed this custom. At first, the idea of honoring a fallen and unknown soldier from World War I was met with resistance in the United States since there was no established place for burial of a fallen soldier similar toWestminster Abbey in London or theArc de Triomphe in Paris. In addition, all American servicemen who fought in the war were in the process of being identified and accounted for by the Army Graves Registration, unlike the British and French who had many unknown dead. By 1920, a resolution in Congress was proposed for such an honor and by March 4, 1921, Public Resolution 67 was approved by the66th United States Congress for the construction of the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Congress on October 20, 1921, declared November 11, 1921, the third anniversary ofArmistice Day, a legal holiday. TheWar Department then began a selection process of an unknown soldier. Four bodies were exhumed from four cemeteries;Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial,Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial,Somme American Cemetery and Memorial, andSt. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in France. During the selection ceremony atChâlons-sur-Marne, it wasEdward F. Younger of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 50th Infantry, American Forces in Germany who selected the third casket from left that contained an unknown soldier to be honored with a state funeral in Washington D C. and for burial at Arlington. In Washington, D.C., the unknown soldier was escorted to the Capitol in a funeral procession on November 9. With lying in state occurring in the rotunda, some 90,000 people on November 9–10 filed past the casket that rested on the Lincoln Catafalque. A funeral service was conducted at theArlington Memorial Amphitheater in the presence of PresidentWarren G. Harding. Interment and burial of the unknown soldier withmilitary rites took place at the newly constructed tomb.[52]
On July 15, 1948,General of the ArmiesJohn J. Pershing died atWalter Reed Army Hospital. Initially, plans for a state funeral were drawn up ten years earlier when it seemed that the general was near death. The plan was kept a closely guarded secret and during those ten years, Pershing's funeral was revised. As a military man and as one of the highest rankingcommissioned officers in theUnited States Army, Pershing insisted that his state funeral be a military one. His remains lay in repose in the chapel at Walter Reed Army Hospital. During the state funeral scheduled for July 17–19, 1948, the public would be admitted to view Pershing lying in state in the Capitol rotunda and a funeral procession from the Capitol to Arlington National Cemetery would occur. A funeral service was held at the Memorial Amphitheatre and interment was given with military rites at the gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery. A proposal to posthumously award Pershing asix-star rank was swiftly dropped in favor of thefour-star rank that the general attained in his military career.[53]
Like the Unknown Soldier of World War I it was decided in June 1946 by the79th United States Congress that a state funeral and burial in Arlington National Cemetery would be given to an unknown soldier after the end ofWorld War II. However, the selection process would be simplified—an unidentified serviceman was to be chosen from each of the following: theEuropean area, theFar East area, theMediterranean zone, thePacific area, the former Africa-Middle East zone now part of the Mediterranean zone, and theAlaskan Command chosen by one of five representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, each of whom had received the highest award of his service during World War II. Plans for a state funeral was to occur between May 27–30, 1950, but this was shelved because of the outbreak of theKorean War. Interest though was revived in August 1955 long after the war concluded and on August 2, 1956, the84th United States Congress enacted Public Law 975 that authorized the burial of an unknown soldier of the Korean War in addition to the unknown soldier of World War II. The two caskets bearing the remains of the two unknown soldiers rested atop two catafalques in the Capitol rotunda. Lying in state occurred from May 28–30, 1958. A funeral procession of two horse-drawn caissons traveled from the Capitol onConstitution Avenue, 23rd Street,Arlington Memorial Bridge, and Memorial Drive to Arlington National Cemetery. As the funeral cortege reached the Memorial Gate, twenty jet fighters and bombers passed overhead with one plane missing from each formation. A funeral service was held at the Memorial Amphitheatre attended by PresidentDwight D. Eisenhower, Vice PresidentRichard Nixon, and members of Congress. A burial service conducted with military rites included athree-volley salute, the playing ofTaps, and the folding of flags. It is estimated that over 4,800 members of the Armed Forces participated in the state funeral of the unknown soldiers of World War II and the Korean War.[54]
A state funeral was held forGeneral of the ArmyDouglas MacArthur in 1964. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy had authorized a state funeral for MacArthur and PresidentLyndon B. Johnson confirmed Kennedy's directive. Funeral plans drawn up in 1958 called for seven days rather than four days of ceremonial events. When MacArthur died on April 5, 1964, at Walter Reed Army Hospital, his remains were transported to New York City, where he lay in repose at theSeventh Regiment Armory. Mounted city police from theNew York City Police Department, soldiers from theFirst Army, and cadets from theUnited States Military Academy participated in the funeral procession onPark Avenue,66th Street,57th Street,Fifth Avenue,Broadway andSeventh Avenue en route toPennsylvania Station. A funeral train transported MacArthur's remains from New York toWashington Union Station in Washington, D.C. A funeral procession on both Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues using a horse-drawn caisson took the General's remains to the Capitol for lying in state. Over the course of two days, April 8–9, over 150,000 people filed past MacArthur's casket in the Capitol rotunda. A third funeral procession occurred on Constitution Avenue that included a flyover of fifty Air Force planes over the column in salute as the horse-drawn caisson neared the site of the casket transfer to a hearse. MacArthur's remains were then transported toWashington National Airport and flown toNaval Station Norfolk on aLockheed C-130 Hercules. A fourth funeral procession occurred in the streets of Norfolk, stopping at the MacArthur Memorial where lying in repose occurred in the rotunda from April 9–11. After a religious service was held atSt. Paul's Episcopal Church on April 11 in Norfolk for an invited 400 guests, a fifth and final horse-drawn procession back to the MacArthur Memorial occurred. A three-volley salute, the folding of the flag, and a 19-gun salute accorded to afive-star rank of general, which MacArthur possessed, was fired before burial in a crypt.[55]
On August 25, 2012,Apollo 11 astronautNeil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the Moon, died after complications fromcoronary artery bypass surgery. CongressmanBill Johnson from Armstrong's home state of Ohio, led calls for PresidentBarack Obama to authorize a state funeral in Washington, D.C. Throughout his lifetime, Armstrong shunned publicity and rarely gave interviews. Mindful that Armstrong would have objected to a state funeral, his family opted to have a private funeral inCincinnati.[56] His remains were scattered in theAtlantic Ocean during aburial-at-sea ceremony on September 14, 2012, aboard theUSSPhilippine Sea.[57]
The most recent non-presidential state funeral was held for U.S. Supreme Courtassociate justiceRuth Bader Ginsburg, who died on September 18, 2020. She was the first woman and first Jew to be accorded this honor.[58][59]
Many presidents have been interred in cemeteries, tombs, crypts, vaults, in the grounds at a place of residence, and inside cathedrals. Some examples include the following. The remains ofGeorge Washington were interred in a tomb at his Virginia plantation,Mount Vernon, in 1799. After falling into disrepair as well as grave robbers attempting to steal the remains of Washington, a new and more secure vault was constructed at Mount Vernon in 1831.[60]Thomas Jefferson was interred at the Monticello Graveyard in the grounds of his Virginia plantation,Monticello, in 1826.[9] The remains ofAbraham Lincoln were exhumed and moved a total of seventeen times, the first exhumation occurring in 1865, before the ornate and lavishLincoln Tomb was finally built for final interment in 1901 atOak Ridge Cemetery located in Springfield, Illinois.[61]Ulysses S. Grant, who died in 1885, was interred inRiverside Park in New York City where eventually, the construction ofGrant's Tomb housing the former president's remains was finally completed and dedicated in 1897.[62] The remains ofWoodrow Wilson were interred in a sarcophagus insideWashington National Cathedral in 1924.[63][64] In 1933Calvin Coolidge was interred with minimal ceremony in the village cemetery inPlymouth Notch, Vermont, becoming the last president to be buried in a public cemetery.[65]William Howard Taft andJohn F. Kennedy were interred atArlington National Cemetery in the years 1930 and 1963 respectively.[66][67]
Many presidents in recent years have been interred at theirpresidential libraries around the nation. Examples includeRonald Reagan, whose remains are interred at theRonald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California,[68]Gerald Ford, whose remains are located at theGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan,[69] andGeorge H. W. Bush, whose remains are interred at theGeorge Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.[70]
In theUnited States, a sitting president while in office will immediately issue apresidential proclamation allowing for theflag of the United States to be flown athalf-staff upon the death of principal figures in the federal government, such as a former president, and others, as a mark of respect to their memory.[71] When such a proclamation is issued, all government buildings, offices, public schools and military bases are to fly their flags at half-staff. Under federal law (4 U.S.C. § 7(f)), the flags of states, cities, localities, and pennants of societies, shall never be placed above the flag of the United States. Thus, all other flags also fly at half-staff when the flag of the United States has been ordered to fly at half-staff.Protocol dictates that flags will be flown at half-staff for a period of thirty days for a former president, beginning at the time a presidential proclamation is made effective. At the discretion of the sitting president, he will also issue anexecutive order which authorizes the closure of all federal departments, agencies, and buildings on anational day of mourning during a state funeral.
On the day after the death of a president, a former president, or a president-elect unless the day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will be rendered the following day, the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning atreveille and ending atretreat. On the day of interment for a president, a21-gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of interment, those installations will fire a50-gun salute with one round for each of the 50 U.S. states and at five-second intervals immediately following a lowering of the flag. 19-gun salutes are reserved for deputy heads of state,chiefs of staff,cabinet members, and5-star generals. For each flag rank junior to a five-star officer, two guns are subtracted.
The commanding general of theJoint Force Headquarters National Capital Region will act as a military escort for the president's family from the time of the official announcement of death until interment occurs.[72] Two examples of this role was by Major GeneralGalen B. Jackman who escorted former First LadyNancy Reagan during thestate funeral of Ronald Reagan in 2004[73] and Lieutenant GeneralGuy C. Swan III who escorted former First LadyBetty Ford during thestate funeral of Gerald Ford in 2006–07.[74]
Most state funerals include a nine-person honor guard acting as pallbearers (also known as body bearers) from all six branches of the Armed Forces, a series ofgun salutes using cannons from the Presidential Salute Battery of the3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard", flyovers inmissing man formation, various musical selections performed by military bands and choirs, amilitary chaplain for the immediate family, and a flag-draped casket orpall.[72]
Sitting presidents who die while in office maylie in repose in theEast Room of the White House. Former presidents may lie in repose in their home or adopted state, usually at theirpresidential library, before traveling toWashington, D.C., when thereafter,lying in state in the United States Capitol Rotunda will occur.Dwight D. Eisenhower was an exception to this general rule. Following his death atWalter Reed Army Hospital in 1969, Eisenhower lay in repose in the Bethlehem Chapel atWashington National Cathedral for 28 hours,[75] rather than at his presidential library in Abilene, Kansas.
A funeral procession occurs during a state funeral onPennsylvania orConstitution Avenue en route to the United States Capitol. Every funeral procession is led by acivilian police escort, usually by theD.C. Metropolitan Police Department.[76] Next, the formal, ceremonial aspects of a procession are organized. A funeral procession uses a four-wheeledcaisson to transport the flag-draped casket, which was originally intended to carry a 75 mm cannon when it was built in 1918. The caisson is drawn by a draft-mix of 6 same-colored horses with three riders and a section chief mounted on a separate horse from the United States Army Caisson Platoon of the3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard". In addition, 2 sets of four body bearers (8 total) will march on foot alongside both sides of the caisson transporting the flag-draped casket. The entire funeral procession is composed of three march units consisting ofNational Guard,reserve,active-duty, andacademy personnel that represent the six branches of the United States Armed Forces.[72] Moving at 3 miles per hour,[77] the funeral procession begins in sight of theWhite House and travels to the United States Capitol. For former presidents, the casket is unloaded from a hearse and transferred to a caisson at16th Street and Constitution Avenue in view of theSouth Lawn.[2] The funeral procession then proceeds down Constitution Avenue. For sitting presidents, the casket is transferred at the North Portico entrance of the White House. Thereafter, the funeral procession proceeds down Pennsylvania Avenue. Two exceptions for this funeral procession were made during the state funerals ofGerald Ford on December 30, 2006, andGeorge H. W. Bush on December 3, 2018. Respecting Ford's and Bush’s personal wishes of not having a funeral procession using a horse-drawn caisson, their caskets were transported inhearses to the United States Capitol. For Ford, the procession stopped at theNational World War II Memorial in order to pay tribute to his service in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War II.[78][79]
Each of the three march units is led by amilitary band.[76][80] Positioned directly in front of the caisson, threecolor guards will march on foot, with the center color guard having responsibility for trooping thenational colors, theflag of the United States. Following immediately behind the caisson, a single color guard will march on foot trooping the presidential standard, theflag of the president of the United States.
Next, a single honor guard will march on foot holding the reins of a caparisoned,riderless horse with a set of boots reversed in the stirrups, symbolizing a fallen warrior who will never ride again which also betokens the commander's parting look on his troops, who march behind.[72][81] The equipment mounted on the caparisoned, riderless horse varies according to color of the horse. If black, asaddle blanket,saddle, andbridle are mounted on the horse. If any other color, the horse carries a folded hood and cape, along with a blanket, saddle and bridle. For presidential state funerals, thepresidential seal is emblazoned on the blanket, four inches from the bottom.[79] The inclusion of a riderless horse in a funeral procession dates back to the death of George Washington in 1799 when a caparisoned, riderless horse carried Washington's saddle, holsters, and pistol during the president's funeral. In 1865,Abraham Lincoln was honored by the inclusion of a riderless horse at his state funeral. When Lincoln'sfuneral train reached Springfield, Illinois, his horse "Old Bob", who was draped in a black mourning blanket, followed the funeral procession and led mourners to the president's burial plot.[82] The most famous riderless horse was"Black Jack" who was foaled January 19, 1947, and was the last of the Quartermaster-issue horses branded with the Army's "US" brand. He was named after General of the ArmiesJohn J. "Black Jack" Pershing. He participated in the state funerals of John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the state funeral of General of the ArmyDouglas MacArthur.[83] The deceased president's family, who are accompanied by federal government officials, will follow behind the funeral procession in apresidential motorcade.[72]
During the funeral procession midway between the White House and the Capitol as the caisson passes through the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 4th Street, N.W., a flyover consisting of 21 tacticalfighter aircraft from theUnited States Air Force, will fly in formation as a single lead aircraft followed by 5 flights of four aircraft each. The #3 aircraft in the final flight executes the maneuver ofmissing man low enough to be clearly seen by on-looking spectators below.[72]
The funeral procession traditionally ends at the center steps on the east front of the Capitol. Exceptions were made forLyndon B. Johnson,Ronald Reagan, andGerald Ford. Johnson's casket was carried up the Senate wing steps because the center steps were blocked with construction scaffolding from thesecond inauguration of Richard Nixon which occurred just days earlier.[84] As a break with tradition, Reagan, as formerGovernor of California, requested that his casket be carried up the steps of the Capitol's West Front facingCalifornia.[85] Ford, as a former member of theUnited States House of Representatives, requested that his casket be carried up the House wing steps.[86]
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Pennsylvania Avenue has been used for seven funeral processions ofpresidents who died while in office.[87]
In 1841,William Henry Harrison was escorted up the avenue by twenty-six pallbearers, one for each of the twenty-sixU.S. states in the Union. On July 13, 1850, the funeral procession forZachary Taylor on Pennsylvania Avenue stretched for over two miles. On April 19, 1865, a cortege numbering an unprecedented 30,000 people escorted the remains ofAbraham Lincoln on the avenue from the White House to the Capitol. In 1881, the body ofJames A. Garfield was escorted on Pennsylvania Avenue by the new president,Chester A. Arthur, and former presidentUlysses S. Grant.
Returned to Washington, D.C., ten days earlier by a funeral train, the remains ofWilliam McKinley were escorted on the rain-dampened avenue from the White House to the Capitol on September 17, 1901. Carriages bearing the new president,Theodore Roosevelt, and ex-PresidentGrover Cleveland, preceded the marchers. On August 8, 1923,Warren G. Harding was honored by a cavalry escort led by GeneralJohn J. Pershing during the president's funeral procession on the avenue to the Capitol. Kennedy's casket rode on the same caisson that had borneFranklin D. Roosevelt's body on Constitution Avenue eighteen years earlier,[88][87] making Roosevelt the only president to die in office whose funeral procession did not take place on Pennsylvania Avenue.[89]
Several former presidents have also been so honored. Among them,John Quincy Adams was serving in theHouse of Representatives at the time of his death in 1848, andWilliam Howard Taft in 1930, who had a few weeks earlier stepped down asChief Justice of the United States. Additionally,Lyndon B. Johnson's funeral procession went down Pennsylvania Avenue, but from the Capitol, on the way toNational City Christian Church for the funeral service on January 25, 1973.[30] Most recently,Jimmy Carter's funeral procession went down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol, with a casket transfer stop theUnited States Navy Memorial on January 7, 2025.
The nation has also honored other people with a funeral procession on Pennsylvania Avenue. They include Vice PresidentGeorge Clinton, who died in office in 1812; generalsJacob Brown in 1828,Alexander Macomb in 1841 andPhilip Sheridan in 1888; AdmiralGeorge Dewey in 1917; and AmbassadorAdlai Stevenson in 1965. On March 2, 1844, Secretary of StateAbel Upshur and Secretary of the NavyThomas Walker Gilmer, as well as three other victims of the1844 gun explosion disaster aboard theUSS Princeton, were all honored with a funeral procession led by then-generalZachary Taylor on Pennsylvania Avenue.
The nation also honored theUnknown Soldier of World War I with a funeral procession on the avenue on November 11, 1921. President Harding, General Pershing, and Chief Justice Taft all walked on foot behind the caisson while former presidentWoodrow Wilson rode in a horse-drawn carriage, which was followed by the entire Congress.[89]
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Shortly after the casket is moved onto the floor of the Capitol rotunda and placed on top of theLincoln catafalque,[90] members of theUnited States Congress gather to pay tribute. A program which includeseulogies, abenediction,prayers, and the laying offloral wreaths will be conducted. Afterward, the president's remains lie in state or an honoree's remains lie in honor for public viewing. Althoughlying in state continues for a period of at least 24 hours, it differs from lying in honor. Five honor guards, each representing a branch of the Armed Forces, will face the flag-draped casket while holding their rifles with their right hand and keeping the rifle butt resting on the floor. These honor guards will periodically rotate in order to relieve previous honor guards during their constant vigil over the casket. A mass public viewing is permitted during the lying in state until one hour before the next departure ceremony begins.[91]
A national funeral service, with a religious theme, is traditionally held atWashington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., or at another church, depending on the president's religious faith. Funeral services for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter were held at the cathedral.[92] William Howard Taft had his funeral atAll Souls' Church, Unitarian, where he was a congregant.[93] John F. Kennedy's requiem mass was held at theCathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, as he was aRoman Catholic.[25][94] A funeral service was held for Lyndon B. Johnson atNational City Christian Church, as he worshipped there often while president.[30]
Various foreign dignitaries,heads of state,royalty, and government officials attend. On the matter of seating arrangements, the family of the deceased is immediately followed by federal government officials, and then by foreign heads of state who are arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of the countries in which they represent. Royalty representing heads of state, such asprinces anddukes, come next, followed by foreignheads of government, such asprime ministers andpremiers.[95] During the funeral service, military top brass sit in the north transept and extended family members sit in the south transept, if the funeral service is held at Washington National Cathedral. The length of these religious services has varied. More recent ones have tended to include multiple eulogies and thus have been longer. Eisenhower's was roughly thirty minutes. Bush's was slightly over two hours.[96]
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Immediately after the national funeral service is completed, the casket travels to its final resting place for interment. Before the mid-20th century, the casket was moved long distances across the nation by afuneral train procession, where thousands of mourners would line the railroad tracks to pay homage. VIP transport in recent decades between the deceased president's home state and Washington, D.C., has been aboard one of the twoBoeing VC-25 jets (tail codes SAM 28000 and SAM 29000) in the presidential fleet which are operated by the89th Airlift Wing atJoint Base Andrews. As protocol dictates, any deceased president whose remains are flown on an Air Force jet are not entitled to use the call signAir Force One since this call sign is exclusively reserved for any aircraft in the Air Force with a sitting and living president aboard.[97] The departure and arrival ceremonies held at Joint Base Andrews as well as at the final destination of interment are met with honor guards, a military band, and a 21-gun salute as the casket is loaded on and unloaded off the aft section of a Boeing VC-25.[97] Because of air transportation in the modern era, it has now become possible for a funeral service and interment to be completed within the same day, as seen during the state funerals ofLyndon B. Johnson in January 1973,[98][30]Ronald Reagan in June 2004,[99] andJimmy Carter in January 2025.[97] However, there were two notable exceptions forDwight D. Eisenhower in 1969 andGeorge H. W. Bush in 2018. Instead of using aBoeing VC-137C jet (tail code SAM 26000) which at the time typically served the role asAir Force One, a funeral train was used to carry and transport Eisenhower’s casket. Departing fromWashington Union Station in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 1969, Eisenhower's funeral train arrived in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas, on April 2, 1969. Interment inside the 'Place of Meditation' located on the grounds of theEisenhower Presidential Library occurred later that day.[75] Although Bush’s casket was flown back to Texas from Washington using a Boeing VC-25 on December 5, 2018, his remains were transported on December 6, 2018, for interment at theGeorge Bush Presidential Library in College Station using a funeral train that was powered by a specially paintedEMD SD70ACe locomotive known asUnion Pacific 4141.[100]
More reminiscent of amilitary funeral during interment, presidents are automatically accorded full military honors in recognition of their role asCommander-in-Chief of theUnited States Armed Forces. Athree-volley salute is fired over the gravesite by seven members who form a rifle party. This however, doesnot constitute a 21-gun salute.[72]Taps, a bugle call sounded over the grave dating from the era of theAmerican Civil War is performed by one lone bugler from theUnited States Marine Band, thirty to fifty yards away.[101] Immediately thereafter, the United States Marine Band will perform William Whiting'sEternal Father, Strong to Save as the "Final Salute" is given.
During interment,fighter aircraft provided by theUnited States Air Force will perform a second and final aerialflyover inmissing man formation, as would be previously observed during a ceremonial procession on Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C.[72]
A final component of a state funeral, as is typically offered during military funerals for fallenveterans, is the folding of theflag of the United States and its presentation to thenext of kin. The flag draped over the casket is meticulously folded twelve times by a total of eight honor guards, four on each side of the casket. Next, an honor guard representing one of the five branches of the Armed Forces will present the flag to the next of kin by kneeling in front of the recipient, holding the folded flag waist high with the straight edge facing the recipient, while leaning toward the recipient. Until 2012, depending on the service of the selected honor guard chosen to present the flag to the next of kin, each of the five military branches used slightly different wording.[102]
The premier military bands from the five branches of the Armed Forces have an approvedmusical repertoire that they perform while marching on Pennsylvania or Constitution Avenue. The use of muffled drums andbagpipes are common as well.
Militarymusical honors such as the presidential fanfareHail to the Chief, the bugle callTaps, andRuffles and flourishes, are performed by military bands as a mark of respect.[72]
During thestate funeral of John F. Kennedy in 1963, as an example, theUnited States Marine Band performedHoly, Holy, Holy byReginald Heber,Our Fallen Heroes, andThe Vanished Army after clearing the Capitol Plaza and joining military units for the 35-minute march on Constitution Avenue to the White House.[103] TheUnited States Navy Band selectedSymphony No. 3 "The Funeral March" byLudwig van Beethoven,The Funeral March byRobert Browne Hall, and the hymnOnward, Christian Soldiers byArthur Sullivan. TheUnited States Air Force Band chose to performPiano Sonata No. 2 "The Funeral March", byFrédéric Chopin, the hymnVigor in Arduis (also known asHymn to the Holy Name), andAmerica the Beautiful bySamuel A. Ward. During the funeral procession from the White House to theCathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Kennedy was honored by nine bagpipers from theBlack Watch, an infantry battalion of theRoyal Regiment of Scotland, who traveled from the United Kingdom to participate in the state funeral.[104][105] They performedThe Brown Haired Maiden,The Badge of Scotland,The 51st Highland Division, andThe Barren Rocks of Aden.[106]
During a national funeral service, such as those held atWashington National Cathedral, the Cathedral Choir or the Armed Forces Choir will sing a selection of religious and patriotic music. In 1969, Dwight D. Eisenhower's state funeral included a religious service at the Cathedral that incorporated music such asSchmucke dich, o liebe Seele byJohann Sebastian Bach andO Welt, ich muss dich lassen byJohannes Brahms.[75] During thestate funeral of Ronald Reagan in 2004,Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee byLudwig van Beethoven andMansions of the Lord byNick Glennie-Smith were performed in the cathedral.[107] Thestate funeral of Gerald Ford in 2006–07 included music such asO God, Our Help in Ages Past byWilliam Croft,Eternal Father, Strong to Save (also known asThe Navy Hymn), andFanfare for the Common Man byAaron Copland.[108] In 2018, thestate funeral of George H. W. Bush included the hymnsThe King of Love My Shepherd Is byHenry Williams Baker,My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer byDouglas Major,Eternal Father, Strong to Save, and Croft’sO God, Our Help in Ages Past.[109] During John F. Kennedy'sRequiem Mass at theSt. Matthew's Cathedral in 1963, the St. Matthew's Choir sangSubvenite andSanctus and Benedictus. Tenor soloist Luigi Vena sangPie Jesu byIgnace Leybach,Ave Maria byFranz Schubert,[110] andIn Manus Tuus byVincent Novello. The organist and choirmaster was Eugene Stewart.[106][110]
Solo musicians who are globally acclaimed have also performed during a funeral service, a recent example being Irish tenorRonan Tynan singing at the state funerals of Reagan (2004) and Bush (2018) at Washington National Cathedral. At Reagan's former first ladyNancy Reagan requested he singAmazing Grace.[111] During the Ford state funeral in 2007, renownedMetropolitan Opera singerDenyce Graves sangThe Lord’s Prayer byAlbert Hay Malotte at the cathedral during the homily.[108] In 2018, Tynan's musical selections included Malotte’sThe Lord’s Prayer andLast Full Measure of Devotion byLarry Grossman. In addition, Christian contemporary soloistMichael W. Smith sangFriends, a piece of music attributed to him.[109] Other venues, such asNational City Christian Church invited American sopranoLeontyne Price to singTake My Hand, Precious Lord during Lyndon B. Johnson's state funeral in 1973.[112][113]
Since the death ofHenry Clay in 1852, theUnited States Capitol rotunda has served as the venue for honoring 34 military officers and politicians – including 12 presidents – with a lying in state. Not all who lie in state nor all for whom flags are flown at half-staff receive a state funeral. A distinction is made between recipients who are permitted to lie in state and those who lie in honor. Incumbent and pastgovernment officials whose remains are placed in the rotunda for view by the public to pay their respects will lie in state. Individuals other than members of the government will lie in honor.[114] The rotunda has been used five times for six individuals who have lain in honor: four members of theUnited States Capitol Police killed defending the building (two in 1998 and two in separate incidents in 2021); civil rights activistRosa Parks in 2005; and evangelist and ministerBilly Graham in 2018.[115][116]
When lying in state, six guards of honor, each representing one of the six branches of the Armed Forces, will periodically rotate and relieve the preceding set of guards of honor who watch over the remains. For recipients who have been designated to lie in honor, theUnited States Capitol Police will act as guards of honor. No law, written rule, or regulation specifies who may lie in state. Use of the Capitol rotunda is controlled by aconcurrent resolution of theHouse of Representatives and theSenate. Any person who has rendered distinguished service to the nation may lie in state if the family so wishes and theUnited States Congress approves. In the case of unknown soldiers, the president or the appropriate branch of the Armed Forces initiates the action.[117]
People who have lain in state in the United States Capitol rotunda are as follows:[118]
People who have lain in honor in the United States Capitol rotunda are as follows:[118]
People who have lain in state in theNational Statuary Hall at theUnited States Capitol are as follows:[125]
People who have lain in state in the House Chamber at the United States Capitol are as follows:[117]
People who have lain in state in theHerbert C. Hoover Building are as follows:[117]
People who have lain in repose in the Senate Chamber at the United States Capitol are as follows:[128][129]
Presidents who have lain in repose in theEast Room of theWhite House
Supreme Court Justices who have lain in state in theOld Senate Chamber at the United States Capitol are as follows:[117]
Supreme Court Justices who have lain in repose in the Great Hall at theUnited States Supreme Court Building are as follows:[117]
(*) - Was laid atop the East Front steps during public viewing hours, as this was during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States, when various restrictions on gatherings were imposed.
Each president living, sitting or former, is generally expected to have funeral plans in place on becoming president. TheMilitary District of Washington (MDW) has primary responsibility in overseeing state funerals and in all cases, must strictly follow the outline of a 138-page planning document. Since theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, state funerals are designated by theDepartment of Homeland Security (DHS) aNational Special Security Event (NSSE), making theUnited States Secret Service in charge of security.
Funeral of Ben Franklin.
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