Inauguration day

WASHINGTON -- Right hand raised, the other on the family Bible, President Bush will recite the most famous 35 words in U.S. history at noon Thursday.

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

It will be the 55th quadrennial presidential inauguration, an event steeped in history and marked by all the pomp and pageantry with which Americans have come to associate the oath-taking ceremony. Heightened security, a constant in this age of terrorism, also will be part of the first inaugural since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Here, in question and answer form, is a look at the inauguration:

Q: Why is the inauguration on Jan. 20 at noon?

A: The Constitution's 20th Amendment, passed by Congress March 2, 1932 and ratified by the necessary states on Jan. 23, 1933, set the date and time.

The president had been sworn in on March 4, typically the final day of the congressional session. For practical reasons, the nation's forefathers had chosen that date because it took weeks to collect and count the votes, and then weeks by coach or horse for the president-elect to get to the capital.

The change also reflected the desire to limit the lame-duck congressional session, which the outgoing president and members of Congress found to be an "unproductive period of time," according to Betty Koed, the assistant U.S. Senate historian.

In the 1930s, Sen. George Norris, R-Neb., suggested the 20th Amendment, and lawmakers agreed. Koed said there were several reasons for the date. It was about two weeks after Congress counted the electoral votes.

Also, calendars indicated that at least for the next few years, the inauguration would not fall on a Sunday -- a day of religious services for many -- and weather patterns showed favorable conditions.

High noon seemed appropriate for a change in command.

Q: Does the chief justice of the United States always administer the oath of office?

A: Traditionally, at the official Washington ceremony, the chief justice administers the oath. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist has accepted Bush's invitation to administer the oath despite begin treated for thyroid cancer.

In special circumstances, others have sworn in a president. On Nov. 22, 1963, after President Kennedy was assassinated, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes administered the oath to Lyndon B. Johnson aboard Air Force One at Love Field in Dallas. Hughes was the first woman to administer the oath.

On April 30, 1789, when George Washington was sworn in on the balcony at Federal Hall in New York City, not a single justice had been appointed to the Supreme Court.

Q: Who is responsible for planning the inauguration?

A: Three entities oversee what is considered a 10-day event -- parties and ceremonies five days before the inauguration, the day itself and four days of celebrations after the swearing-in.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is responsible for all that transpires at the Capitol. That includes the oath-taking ceremony and the inaugural luncheon for the president, vice president, members of Congress and other dignitaries.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee, chosen by the president-elect, handles all events outside the Capitol, including choosing the bands for the parade and arranging the inaugural balls.

The Joint Task Force-Armed Forces Inaugural Committee is responsible for providing the military ceremonial support such as marching bands, honor cordons and color guards. The Joint Task Force, representing the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, also organizes the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The inauguration has been designated a National Security Special Event by the Homeland Security Department, which means the Secret Service takes the lead on security.

Q: What music do they play at the swearing-in ceremony?

A: In January 2001, the Marine Band played more than 45 songs in addition to Hail to the Chief. Among the music: "The Man of the Hour," "Riders for the Flag," "The Southerner," "Semper Fidelis," "Solid Men to the Front," "Washington Post," "Americans We" and "March of the Women Marines."

Q: What are some of the highlights in the history of the parade?

A: Dwight D. Eisenhower's first inauguration, in 1953, was the largest and longest parade, with 73 bands, 59 floats, horses, elephants and civilian and military vehicles. It went on for 4 hours, 32 minutes. The parade for Bush's inauguration will have 14 giant floats, more than 70 marching bands and marching units and thousands of dignitaries and representatives from every state. The military estimates about 10,000 participants in a parade it says will last 1 hour, 52 minutes.

Q: How much does this cost?

A: The public is contributing at least $2.8 million. Costs run much higher; in 2001, planners raised more than $40 million in private donations to help pay for the festivities. President Bush's team hopes to raise $40 million to $50 million for this inaugural, with a special "underwriter" package for $250,000 and a "sponsor" package of $100,000. Donors who dig deep get tickets to Bush's swearing-in ceremony, good seats for the inaugural parade and either entry to a lunch or candlelight dinner.

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Inauguration information

* The nation's first president, George Washington, was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, in an outdoor ceremony in New York City, then nation's capital. He set two precedents that have followed to this day. The first was pronouncing the words "so help me God" and kissing the bible after taking the oath.

* Washington also had an inaugural parade after the swearing in ceremony. He was escorted from Federal Hall to the President's House by the troops he had commanded in the Revolutionary War. That evening a private ball was held.

* In 1797, John Adams was the first president to receive the oath of office from the Chief Justice of the United States.

* In 1801, Thomas Jefferson began the custom of writing to Congress to accept the inauguration and arrange a time for the ceremonies. He was the only president to walk to and from his inaugural. He was the first president to be inaugurated at the Capitol building.

* In 1809, James Madison held the first inaugural ball on the same day as the ceremony. He also set a precedent for having the U.S. Marine Band play at the ball.

* In 1817, James Monroe was the first president to take the oath outdoors in Washington.

* In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt was the first president not to be sworn in with a Bible. Ansley Wilcox, at whose home Roosevelt took the office, said that Roosevelt took the oath with an uplifted hand.

* In 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to take the oath on Jan. 20, a date set by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

* Ronald Reagan's inauguration in 1985 also fell on the same day as Super Bowl Sunday. Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1997 also fell on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

* In 1989, George H. W. Bush had the most expensive inaugural to date.

* William H. Harrison had the longest inaugural address at 1,000 words. George Washington holds the record for the shortest, with 135 words.

* At Abraham Lincoln's inaugural parade in 1865, African Americans were invited to participate for the first time. Women participated in the inaugural parade for the first time at the swearing-in ceremonies for Woodrow Wilson in 1917. Jimmy Carter was the first president to make provisions for the handicapped to watch the inaugural parade in 1977.

* An automobile was used for the first time in an inaugural parade for William H. Taft in 1909, though he was not an occupant in the vehicle. Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride to and from his inaugural in 1921.

* Martin Van Buren's inauguration parade in 1837 was the first time floats were added to the festivities.

* Harry S Truman's inauguration in 1949 was the first to be televised. Calvin Coolidge's 1925 oath of office was broadcast nationally by radio. Herbert Hoover's inauguration was recorded by a talking newsreel in 1929. Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1997 was the first to be broadcast live via the Internet.

-- 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee