January 20, 2009 |
Fifty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Barack H. Obama
|
The Lincoln Bible. The Lincoln Bible was the Bible used by president Abraham Lincoln at his presidential inauguration. The Bible is part of the collection of the Library of Congress. The Bible itself is an Oxford University Press edition published in 1853, has 1280 pages, and measures approximately 15 cm (6 in) in length and 10 cm (4 in) in width, and 4.5 cm in thickness, and is bound in burgundy red velvet with gilt edges. |
January 20, 2005 |
Fifty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies |
George W. Bush
|
Family Bible, open to Isaiah 40:31 |
January 20, 2001 |
Fifty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies |
George W. Bush
|
Family Bible, closed |
January 20, 1997 |
Fifty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies |
William J. Clinton
|
King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Isaiah 58:12 (same Bible used at his 1993 Inauguration) |
January 20, 1993 |
Fifty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies |
William J. Clinton
|
King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Galatians 6:8 |
January 20, 1989 |
Fifty-First Inaugural Ceremonies |
George H.W. Bush
|
Family Bible, open to Matthew 5, and the Bible used by George Washington (belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1), opened at random |
January 21, 1985 |
Fiftieth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Ronald W. Reagan
|
Family Bible, given to him by his mother, open to II Chronicles 7:14. (Same Bible used at his 1981 Inauguration) |
January 20, 1981 |
Forty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Ronald W. Reagan
|
Family Bible given to him by his mother, open to II Chronicles 7:14 |
January 20, 1977 |
Forty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James E. Carter
|
Family Bible, open to VI Micah 6:8, and the Bible used by George Washington (belonging to St. John's Mason Lodge No. 1) |
August 9, 1974 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Gerald R. Ford after the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon |
Gerald R. Ford
|
Bible held by his wife, open to Proverbs 3:5-6 |
January 20, 1973 |
Forty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies |
Richard M. Nixon
|
Two brown leather family Bibles, open to Isaiah 2:2-4 (same Bibles used at his 1969 Inauguration) |
January 20, 1969 |
Forty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Richard M. Nixon
|
Two brown leather family Bibles, both open to Isaiah 2:4 |
January 20, 1965 |
Forty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Lyndon Baines Johnson
|
Johnson took the oath on the same family Bible he used at his Vice Presidential Inauguration in 1961. It was closed. |
November 22, 1963 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy |
Lyndon Baines Johnson
|
Unknown |
January 20, 1961 |
Forty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies |
John F. Kennedy
|
Fitzgerald family Bible (his mother's family), closed |
January 20, 1957 |
Forty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies |
Dwight D. Eisenhower
|
Eisenhower used his personal "West Point Bible," open to Psalm 33:12 |
January 20, 1953 |
Forty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies |
Dwight D. Eisenhower
|
Eisenhower used two Bibles: the Bible used by George Washington in 1789 (belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1), opened to II Chronicles 7:14; and his own personal "West Point Bible," opened to Psalm 33:12. |
January 20, 1949 |
Forty-First Inaugural Ceremonies |
Harry S. Truman
|
Truman used two Bibles: the first was the same Bible he used in 1945 when he was sworn in upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt, open to Matthew 5 (Beatitudes). The second was a Gutenberg facsimilie given to him by the Independence, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, opened to Exodus 20 (the Ten Commandments). |
April 12, 1945 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Harry S. Truman after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt |
Harry S. Truman
|
According to Truman, "There was much scurrying around to find this book on which to take the oath." It was closed while he repeated the oath, and he kissed the book when he finished. |
January 20, 1945 |
Fortieth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Franklin D. Roosevelt
|
Same family Bible used for his 1933, 1937, and 1941 inaugurations, open to I Corinthians 13 |
January 20, 1941 |
Thirty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Franklin D. Roosevelt
|
Same family Bible used for his 1933 and 1937 Inaugurations, open to I Corinthians 13 |
January 20, 1937 |
Thirty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Franklin D. Roosevelt
|
Same family Bible used for his 1933 Inauguration, open to I Corinthians 13 |
March 4, 1933 |
Thirty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies |
Franklin D. Roosevelt
|
Roosevelt family Bible, the same one used when Roosevelt was sworn in as Governor of New York in 1928 and 1930, open to I Corinthians 13 |
March 4, 1929 |
Thirty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Herbert C. Hoover
|
Family Bible, open to Proverbs 29:18 |
March 4, 1925 |
Thirty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Calvin Coolidge
|
Family Bible given to him by his mother, open to John 1 |
August 3, 1923 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Calvin Coolidge after the death of President Warren G. Harding |
Calvin Coolidge
|
Family Bible |
March 4, 1921 |
Thirty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Warren G. Harding
|
Same Bible used by George Washington, belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1, open to Micah 6:8 |
March 5, 1917 |
Thirty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies |
Woodrow Wilson
|
Same Bible used when he was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey and as President in 1913, open to Psalm 46. |
March 4, 1913 |
Thirty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies |
Woodrow Wilson
|
Same Bible used when he was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey, open to Psalm 119:43-46. |
March 4, 1909 |
Thirty-First Inaugural Ceremonies |
William H. Taft
|
Century-old Bible belonging to the Supreme Court, open to I Kings 3:9-11 |
March 4, 1905 |
Thirtieth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Theodore Roosevelt
|
Same Bible used when Roosevelt was sworn in as Governor of New York in 1898, open to James 1:22-23 |
September 14, 1901 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt after the assassination of President William McKinley |
Theodore Roosevelt
|
No Bible used |
March 4, 1901 |
Twenty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies |
William McKinley
|
Bible provided to him by the Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Proverbs 16:20-21 |
March 4, 1897 |
Twenty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies |
William McKinley
|
Bible presented to him by the Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; II Chronicles 1:10 is marked |
March 4, 1893 |
Twenty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies |
Grover Cleveland
|
Bible given to him by his mother in 1852 when he was 15 years old, open to Psalm 91:12-16. (Same Bible he used at his 1885 Inauguration.) |
March 4, 1889 |
Twenty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Benjamin Harrison
|
Bible provided by Clerk of the Supreme Court James H. McKenney, opened to Psalm 121:1-6. |
March 4, 1885 |
Twenty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Grover Cleveland
|
Bible given to him at age 15 by his mother. This Bible was opened by Chief Justice Waite and by chance it fell to Psalm 112:4-10. |
September 20, 1881 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Chester Arthur after the assassination of President James Garfield |
Chester A. Arthur
|
Bible unknown for September 20 oath-taking; Bible provided by Clerk of the Supreme Court James H. McKenney for September 22 oath, open to Psalm 31:1-2. |
March 4, 1881 |
Twenty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James A. Garfield
|
Bible provided by James H. McKenney, Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Proverbs 21:1. |
March 5, 1877 |
Twenty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies |
Rutherford B. Hayes
|
Bible provided by D. W. Middleton, Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Psalm 118:11-13. |
March 4, 1873 |
Twenty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies |
Ulysses S. Grant
|
Bible provided by D. W. Middleton, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened to Isaiah 11:1-3. |
March 4, 1869 |
Twenty-First Inaugural Ceremonies |
Ulysses S. Grant
|
Unknown |
April 15, 1865 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Andrew Johnson after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln |
Andrew Johnson
|
Origin of the Bible unknown, but said to have been opened to Proverbs 20 and 21. |
March 4, 1865 |
Twentieth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Abraham Lincoln
|
The origin of Lincoln's second Inaugural Bible is unknown, but it was open to Matthew 7:1; 18:7; and Revelations 16:7. |
March 4, 1861 |
Nineteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Abraham Lincoln
|
Bible purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened at random. It is almost identical to James Buchanan's 1857 Bible. |
March 4, 1857 |
Eighteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James Buchanan
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1853 |
Seventeenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Franklin Pierce
|
Unknown |
July 10, 1850 |
Swearing-In of Vice President Millard Fillmore after the death of President Zachary Taylor |
Millard Fillmore
|
Unknown |
March 5, 1849 |
Sixteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Zachary Taylor
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1845 |
Fifteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James K. Polk
|
The origin of Polk's Bible is unknown, although a letter in the front of the volume indicates that after the Inauguration, it was presented to Mrs. Polk by the Marshal of the District of Columbia. There is no indication that it was open during the oath-taking, and has no marked passages. |
April 6, 1841 |
Swearing-In of Vice President John Tyler after the death of President William H. Harrison |
John Tyler
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1841 |
Fourteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
William H. Harrison
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1837 |
Thirteenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Martin Van Buren
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1833 |
Twelfth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Andrew Jackson
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1829 |
Eleventh Inaugural Ceremonies |
Andrew Jackson
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1825 |
Tenth Inaugural Ceremonies |
John Quincy Adams
|
According to his own version of his Inauguration, Adams took the oath upon a volume of law. |
March 4, 1821 |
Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James Monroe
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1817 |
Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James Monroe
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1813 |
Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies |
James Madison
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1809 |
Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies |
James Madison
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1805 |
Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Thomas Jefferson
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1801 |
Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies |
Thomas Jefferson
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1797 |
Third Inaugural Ceremonies |
John Adams
|
Unknown |
March 4, 1793 |
Second Inaugural Ceremonies |
George Washington
|
Unknown |
April 30, 1789 |
First Inaugural Ceremonies |
George Washington
|
The Holy Bible from St. John's Masonic Lodge, No. 1, opened at random due to haste to Genisis 49:13 |