Second inauguration of Ronald Reagan
 Ronald Reagan takes the oath of office for his second term | |
| Date | January 20, 1985 (official) January 21, 1985 (public) |
|---|---|
| Location | Entrance Hall, White House (official) United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. (public) |
| Organized by | Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies |
| Participants | Ronald Reagan 40th president of the United States — Assuming office Warren E. Burger Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath George H. W. Bush 43rd vice president of the United States — Assuming office Potter Stewart Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States — Administering oath |
The second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as president of the United States was held in a televised ceremony[1] on January 20, 1985, at the White House,[2] and was repeated the following day, January 21, 1985, at the Capitol's rotunda. This was the 50th presidential inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final four-year term of both Ronald Reagan as president and of George H. W. Bush as vice president. At 73 years, 349 days of age on Inauguration Day, Reagan was the oldest U.S. president to be inaugurated, until the record was surpassed two times in a row (by Joe Biden in 2021 and by Donald Trump in 2025.)[3]
Inauguration day
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As the weather outside was harsh, with daytime temperatures of 7 °F (−14 °C) and wind chills of −25 °F (−32 °C), the event organizers were forced to move the public inaugural ceremony, which had been planned for the open air, inside to the Capitol Rotunda.[4][5][6] Jessye Norman sang Simple Gifts from Aaron Copland's Old American Songs.[7] As had officially happened the day before, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, and former Associate Justice Potter Stewart administered the vice-presidential oath to Bush. After Reagan's inaugural address and the pronunciation of the benediction by Peter J. Gomes, the U.S. Marine Band played The Star Spangled Banner.
The weather necessitated that the parade be canceled. A replacement event was held in the Capital Centre;[3] 96 people attended the first ceremony and thousands attended the second.
Coverage of the inauguration was provided throughout the United States by NBC,[8] CBS,[9] ABC,[10] and CNN[citation needed].
Inauguration committee
[edit]Former UPI correspondent John Chambers, son of Whittaker Chambers, served as executive director of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Presidential Inauguration, for Reagan's second inauguration and again for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993.[11][12]
Aftermath
[edit]On May 27, 1985 (Memorial Day), twenty of the more than fifty high school marching bands that had been scheduled to perform in the cancelled inaugural parade performed in the President's Inaugural Bands Parade held at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center theme park. The performance was preceded by a speech delivered by President Reagan.[13][14][15][16]
See also
[edit]- Presidency of Ronald Reagan
- First inauguration of Ronald Reagan
- 1984 United States presidential election
- Ronald Reagan 1984 presidential campaign
- 1985 White House intrusion
References
[edit]- ^ "Reagan's Second Inauguration".
- ^ Putzel, Michael (January 21, 1985). "Inaugural put on ice". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. A1.
- ^ a b "Reagan Sworn in; Inaugural Parade Canceled by Cold : Health Threat to Thousands Feared; Public Ceremony Today to be Indoors". Los Angeles Times. 21 January 1985.
- ^ Hunt, Terence (January 21, 1985). "Reagan sees 'a new America'". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. p. 1.
- ^ "Reagan: Peace with mighty defense". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 22, 1985. p. A1.
- ^ "Inauguration of President Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1985". Archived from the original on 2012-10-06. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
- ^ "50TH INAUGURAL CEREMONIES". United States Senate. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ Television Archive Project. "1985 US Presidential Inauguration - NBC Coverage - 10:00AM-3:58PM". Youtube.
- ^ Television Archive Project. "1985 US Presidential Inauguration - CBS Coverage - 11:00AM-3:35PM". Youtube.
- ^ Television Archive Project. "1985 US Presidential Inauguration - ABC Coverage - 11:00AM-3:58PM". Youtube.
- ^ "President's Oath Will Be Taken Twice Next Year". Washington Post. 26 September 1984. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "The Super Rumor". New York Times. 18 September 1984. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- ^ "Remarks to Participants in the President's Inaugural Bands Parade at Walt Disney's EPCOT Center Near Orlando, Florida". Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ "Remarks to Participants in the President's Inaugural Bands Parade at Walt Disney's EPCOT Center Near Orlando, Florida | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Groer, Anne (15 May 1985). "INAUGURAL BANDS GET 2ND SHOT AT EPCOT". Sun-Sentinel.com. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
- ^ Wicks, Kathy (2016-02-09). "May 27, 1985 - A Special One-Day Parade at Walt Disney World". WDW Radio. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
External links
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