The tradition of the Inaugural Luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies first began in 1953. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon, and fifty invited guests dined on creamed chicken, baked ham, and potato puffs in the now-restored Old Senate Chamber. Until that time, the newly sworn President, Vice President, and invited guests usually returned to the White House for a luncheon celebration. In 1897, however, the Senate Inaugural Committee on Arrangements hosted a luncheon in the Capitol for President William McKinley, which was the precursor of the current tradition.
We continue this tradition today and commemorate two centuries of American exploration, development, and conservation of our Nation
The President and Vice President received a pair of hand-cut, crystal hurricane lamps engraved with a likeness of the nation's mansion, made by Lenox, Inc.
The 2004 election made President George W. Bush the first presidential candidate since 1988 to win a majority of the popular vote, with 51 percent. Owing to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the subsequent war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush's second swearing-in saw the tightest security measures of any inaugural ceremony. An ailing Chief Justice Rehnquist administered the oath of office for the final time on the largest inaugural platform built to date.
