Swearing-In Ceremony for President William McKinley
Twenty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies, March 4, 1901
Program
Inaugural Address
‘ My Fellow-Citizens: When we assembled here on the 4th of March, 1897, there was great anxiety with regard to our currency and credit.’
Read the address
(Words: 2215)
Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to William McKinley by the Honorable Melville W. Fuller, Chief Justice of the United States.
Library of Congress
- Bible Used: Bible provided to him by the Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Proverbs 16:20-21
- Attire: Black suit, black coat
Vice Presidential Oath of Office
Administered to Theodore Roosevelt.
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Location
East Portico,
U.S. Capitol
Washington, DC
Weather
Overcast. It rained overnight and then began again during the ceremony and ended at 3:45 pm. Total rainfall was 0.32 inches. Estimated noon temperature of 47°F.
Facts, Firsts & Precedents
First time the U.S. House joined with the U.S. Senate, creating the JCCIC, to make Inaugural arrangements
Inaugural Committee
- Sen. Marcus A. Hanna (R-OH), Chair
- Sen. John C. Spooner (R-WI)
- Sen. James K. Jones (D-AR)
- Rep. Joseph G. Cannon (R-IL)
- Rep. John Dalzell (R-PA)
- Rep. Thomas C. McRae (D-AR)
Video
Library of Congress
The second inauguration was a patriotic celebration of the successes of the recently concluded Spanish American War. The new Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, was a popular figure from the War. President McKinley again had defeated William Jennings Bryan, but the campaign issue was American expansionism overseas. Chief Justice Melville Fuller administered the oath of office on a covered platform erected in front of the East Portico of the Capitol. The parade featured soldiers from the campaigns in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. An inaugural ball was held that evening in the Pension Building.