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| Parent | Parent |
| Type | Inauguration |
| Title | 42d Presidential Inauguration (Hoover) |
| Start Date/Time | March 04, 1929 07:00am |
| End Date/Time | March 04, 1929 07:00pm |
| Contributor | Chronicler |
| Last Modified | Chronicler - February 06, 2013 08:01am |
| Description | Hoover Prepares for Inauguration
Following the popular vote of 1928, Hoover went on a two-month cruise to Latin America, where he visited with the political leaders of ten nations. During this trip, he considered cabinet appointments. He and his wife sailed to Virginia on the battleship U.S.S. Utah, arriving in Virginia on 1/6/1929. While on the train, Hoover put his engineering experience to work and helped correct two design flaws in the battleship that had been a maintenance problem for a decade. They travelled by train to Washington DC, and they stayed at their house at 2300 S Street the remainder of the week. Hoover visited with Coolidge on 1/7 to report on his trip to Latin America, then spent the remainder of the day hearing advice from leading politicians regarding the cabinet. [New York Times, 1/7-8, 10/1929]
After their visit to Washington DC, the Hoovers travelled to Florida. Herbert Hoover was surprised by the size of the crowds that met his train at the various stops in the formerly Solid South, including the widow of William Jennings Bryan. He liked to think over important matters while fishing. He completed the first draft of the inaugural address in Florida. While in Florida, Herbert Hoover toured a portion of the Everglades that had been hit by a tornado. The Hoovers left Florida for their return to DC on 2/17. [NYT 2/18,20, 23/1929]
The Hoovers arrived in DC on 2/19 and spent the final two weeks of the Coolidge administration in their house on S Street. It was not customary for an incoming President to spend time in the Capitol in this manner, but Hoover wanted to speak with his incoming cabinet. He met with Coolidge and congressional leaders on 2/20 and announced that he would call Congress into session early to consider a new farm bill and a tariff bill. His cabinet was completed on 2/28. [NYT 2/20-21, 3/1/1929]
The news media planned to have the widest coverage in history. NBC radio set up special wires that would be used to broadcast Hoover's inaugural ceremonies in England (although the broadcast did not work out too well). NBC had 67 local affiliate stations carrying the inaugural feed, in addition to 50 stations carrying the CBS feed. The New York Times reported on 3/5/1929 that approximately 63 million people listened to the inauguration on the radio. NYT 3/3,5/1929.
Morning of Inauguration Day
Hoover rose early on inauguration day. He read the morning papers and wrote some final letters as a private citizen before Lou and their guests came down for breakfast at 8:00. Sen. Moses arrived at the house at 10:45, after which he and the Hoovers rode to the White House. [NYT 3/5/1929]
Calvin Coolidge was up by 7 a.m. He joked with an aide about the rain and the fact that it had rained every time in his life that he moved. His morning stroll, which he called his "constitutional," took him to see the reviewing stand constructed for the Hoovers to observe the inaugural parade. After breakfast, he signed bills at his desk that had been passed by Congress. Members of the cabinet stopped by for a last official chat with the President. Coolidge released them, looked around the room one last time, and walked to the residential area of the White House. The cabinet members were waiting there with their wives and reported later that Coolidge was unusually talkative during their 20-minute wait for the Hoovers. [NYT 3/5/1929]
Herbert and Lou Hoover arrived at the White House at 10:30 a.m. Calvin and Grace Coolidge met the Hoovers at the entrance, and they went inside for a brief visit. Sen. Curtis and his sister also arrived there at 10:30. [NYT 3/5/1929]
A caravan left the White House for the Capitol at 11 a.m. Included in the caravan were Calvin and Grace Coolidge, Herbert and Lou Hoover, and Charles Curtis and his sister Dolly Gann. This was the final parting of the Coolidges as the residents of the White House. Coolidge and Hoover went to the President's room adjacent to the Senate chamber, where Coolidge signed the final bills of the Congress that was coming to a close. He chose not to sign two bills and spent a few minutes chatting with cabinet members while smoking a cigar. [NYT 3/5/1929]
The outgoing Senate was in session. Sen. David A. Reed (R-PA) was speaking against action to apply the quotas of national origins in the recent immigration law. Grace Coolidge and Lou Hoover entered the "presidential pew" during the debate, which indicated that the time had arrived for the Senate to conclude its business. Members of the U.S. House entered the Senate chamber and sat on the Democratic side of the aisle. At 11:50, debate ended and the diplomatic corps entered the Senate chamber. With the guests still arriving, a Senate page turned the clock from noon to 11:50 a.m. Cabinet members, including Coolidge's outgoing members and Hoover's incoming, arrived and took their seats. Military officials and the U.S. Supreme Court arrived in time to observe the hands of the clock being moved back another ten minutes to 11:50 a.m. [NYT 3/5/1929]
Vice Presidential Inaugural
At "noon," Sen. Curtis and members of the Committee on Arrangements arrived; Curtis took a seat beside Dawes. Coolidge and Hoover entered the Senate chamber with a standing ovation from members of both political parties. VP Dawes administered the oath of office to Sen. Curtis. Dawes then turned to the gathering, which was still standing, and began his address. This confused everyone, as they were not sure if they should stand for his address or sit. Everyone gradually took their seats as he spoke. Dawes reiterated his statement from 1925 that the Senate rules needed to be amended; this time, however, the Senators found his statements amusing. When finished, the clock read 11:58 (although the actual time was 12:18). Dawes declared the Senate adjourned. Curtis immediately called the new Senate to order. After a prayer, Curtis gave a brief inaugural address. He included a brief statement that the Senate should be enabled to make its rules as it saw fit, which brought forth chuckles from the Senators. His address was not broadcast on the radio due to a filament circuit problem. The incoming Senators took their oaths with the exception of LaFollette, Shipstead, and Cutting, who were absent. There upon, [NYT 3/5/1929]
Hoover's Inauguration
Rain began to fall around 12:30 as the crowd watched the procession from the Senate chamber to the East front of the Capitol building. The Marine band played to entertain the crowd as the rain increased in intensity. Many in the crowd used the day's newspaper to cover their heads. At 1:08, Chief Justice William Howard Taft administered the oath of office to Herbert Hoover before a crowd of 50,000; it was the 20th anniversary of Taft's own presidential inaugural. Taft and the Supreme Court justices wore a black skull cap. Although a Quaker, Hoover used the word "swear" rather than "affirm." At the end of the oath, Hoover did not add the words "so help me God" (the last time the addition was not used), and he kissed the Bible. As Hoover was turning to give his inaugural address, Coolidge walked up to shake his hand, and they exchanged a few words. This unusual exchange excited the crowd, which began a long round of applause. [NYT 3/5/1929]
Hoover's inaugural address was forward-looking and optimistic. Overall, it was a better inaugural address than most earlier ones. The rain was fairly heavy throughout the address, and drops of rain rolled down Hoover's cheeks. Among his themes were the importance of world peace, vigorous enforcement of laws, overhauling the federal criminal procedures, upholding the integrity of the Constitution, and reorganization of the business structure of the government. He agreed to appoint a commission to investigate any abuses of Prohibition during the Harding and Coolidge administrations. Hoover asked for God's help "in this service to my country to which you have called me." At the end of the inaugural, Hoover shook hands with Coolidge again. This second handshake generated the most intense cheering by the onlookers. Note: Hoover did not promise the "chicken in every pot" in his inaugural. [NYT 3/5/1929]
One of the people on the inaugural stand was Mollie Carran of West Branch, Iowa, who had been one of Hoover's school teachers. Carran travelled to DC to observe the inauguration, and her congressman mentioned her in passing to Lou Hoover. The incoming First Lady made a special seat available to Carran on the inaugural stand. [NYT 3/5/1929]
Afternoon and Evening of Inauguration Day
The Hoover and Curtis parties left the U.S. Capitol for the White House at 1:15. The Coolidges travelled to Union Station and took a train for their home in Massachusetts, holding to a tradition established by TR in 1909 rather than hosting a welcome dinner for the new First Family. The Secret Service detail accompanied the Coolidges to the station, where Coolidge made a brief statement on NBC radio. The Secret Service team then left the Coolidges in their private rail car to protect the incoming President. [NYT 3/4-5/1929].
The inaugural parade began at 2:00, and the presidential party observed from a stand in front of the White House. Hoover had asked early that the parade be limited in nature [NYT 1/9/1929]. The parade was hampered by rain, and many of those who planned to be in the parade instead watched on the sidelines under umbrellas. Mollie Carran (Hoover's school teacher) sat in the stand with the Hoovers. The parade ended at 4:15, after which the Hoovers received invited guests at the White House. [NYT 3/4/1929]
A fireworks display was held on the "Monument Grounds" beginning at 8:00.
A charity ball was held in the Washington Auditorium, followed by other receptions and balls. The charity ball was the largest ball held in Washington up to that time and was the first inaugural ball since 1909. It began at 11:15 with the arrival of Curtis and his sister. The orchestra was comprised of American Indians, some of whom played while wearing traditional Indian clothing (in honor of Curtis). Hoover had made his wishes known from the beginning that he did not want to hold a ball but finally agreed to have one take place without his presence. [NYT 1/9, 3/3, 3/5/1929] |
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