Merry Christmas people! You may find this interesting!
Bibles and Scripture Passages Used by Presidentsin Taking the Oath of OfficeThe information below is courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol.
It has been compiled by the Office of the Curator from contemporary accounts and other sources in the files of the Architect of the Capitol.
PRESIDENT DATE EDITION George Washington 1789 Genesis 49:131 (Masonic Bible); opened at random due to haste George Washington 1793 Not known
John Adams 1797 Not known
Thomas Jefferson 1801, 1805 Not known
James Madison 1809, 1813 Not known James Monroe 1817, 1821 Not known
John Q. Adams 1825 Not known Andrew Jackson 1829, 1833 Not known
Martin Van Buren 1837 Proverbs 3:172
William H. Harrison 1841 Not known John Tyler 1841 Not known
James K. Polk 1845 Not knownZachary Taylor 1849 Not knownMillard Fillmore 1850 Not known
Franklin Pierce 1853 Affirmed instead of swearing the oath; did not kiss Bible
James Buchanan 1857 Not known
Abraham Lincoln 1861 Opened at random
Abraham Lincoln 1865 Matthew 7:1; 18:7; Revelations 16:7Andrew Johnson 1865 Proverbs 21
Ulysses S. Grant 1869 Not known
Ulysses S. Grant 1873 Isaiah 11:1-34
Rutherford B. Hayes 1877 Privately, no Bible; publicly, Psalm 118:11-134
James A. Garfield 1881 Proverbs 21:14,5
Chester A. Arthur 1881 Privately, no Bible Psalm 31:1-34,5
Grover Cleveland 1885 Psalm 112:4-10; Bible opened by Chief Justice and by chance it fell to this Psalm6 Benjamin Harrison 1889 Psalm 121:1-64
Grover Cleveland 1893 Psalm 91:12-164
William McKinley 1897 II Chron. 1:10; Bible given to him by Methodist church congregation7
William McKinley 1901 Proverbs 164
Theodore Roosevelt 1901 No Bible
Theodore Roosevelt 1905 James 1:22-234
William Howard Taft 1909 I Kings 3:9-114
Woodrow Wilson 1913 Psalm 1194Woodrow Wilson 1917 Privately, not known; publicly, Psalm 468
Warren G. Harding 1921 Micah 6:8 (Washington Bible)4
Calvin Coolidge 1923 Not known
Calvin Coolidge 1925 John 1 Herbert C. Hoover 1929 Proverbs 29:184
Franklin D. Roosevelt 1933, 1937, 1941, 1945 I Corinthians 134
Harry S. Truman 1945 Closed Bible held in left hand; right hand on upper cover9
Harry S. Truman 1949 Matthew 5:3-11 and Exodus 20:3-1710
Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953 Psalm 127:1 (Washington Bible) and II Chronicles 7:14 (West Point Bible)11
Dwight D. Eisenhower 1957 Privately, not known; publicly, Psalm 33:1212 (West Point Bible)
John F. Kennedy 1961 Closed Bible13
Lyndon B. Johnson 1963 Missal14
Lyndon B. Johnson 1965 Closed family Bible15
Richard M. Nixon 1969, 1973 Two family Bibles, both open to Isaiah 2:416
Gerald R. Ford 1974 Proverbs 3:5-617
James E. Carter 1977 Family Bible open to Micah 6:818
Ronald W. Reagan 1981, 1985 Mother's Bible open to II Chronicles 7:1419 (Both privately and publicly in 1985)
George H. W. Bush 1989 Washington's Masonic Bible opened at random in the center; family Bible on top opened to Matthew 5
William J. Clinton 1993 King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Galatians 6:8
William J. Clinton 1997 King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Isaiah 58:1220
George W. Bush 2001 Closed family Bible21 Bibles and Scripture Passages Used by Presidents in Taking the Oath of Office
6 comments:
I wonder why Theodore Roosevelt's first swearing-in had no Bible at all?
Personally I think the president should be sworn in on a copy of the U.S. Constitution.
My husband is on the local zoning board and upon becoming chairman he asked that the by-laws be modified so that new members no longer were sworn in on a Bible and just had to swear or affirm. The board attorney agreed with him and it was done. I wish the country had as much dedication to separation of church and state!
Now of course you realize I have to dig out my Bible and look up all those scriptural references you posted! ;-)
Mauigirl
That is a good question! You can see what swearing in on the bible is worth. I would like to see them swear to the constitution and then be held to it. Kudos to hubby! My hopes like most I assume are really with Obama! Good luck to all of us!
I had the same question as Mauigirl.
Jim thank you for all those interesting reads this year. I value your friendship immensely.
Thank You monique! It is I who gains the most from our friendship. That is obvious to anyone who knows and follows you! As you know, I too agree with mauigirl!
I like that idea as well--no more bibles. The constitution is the one document we all believe in.
Hi Utah
You know just looking at what you wrote made me realize I believe 110% in seperation of church and State and with that said it makes no sense to swear on the bible. In real seperation of church and Stat you should pledge on the Constitution!
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