The first

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...

of Harry S. Truman as the 33rd

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal gove ...

was held at 7:00 pm on Thursday, April 12, 1945, at the Cabinet Room inside the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

in Washington, D.C., following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt earlier that day. The inauguration—the seventh non-scheduled, extraordinary inauguration to ever take place—marked the commencement of the first term (a partial term of ) of Harry S. Truman as president. Truman, then serving as

vice president of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice p ...

, had just adjourned a session of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

and was on his way to share a drink with

Sam Rayburn Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was an American politician who served as the 43rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a three-time House speaker, former House majority leader, two-time ...

, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, when he was summoned to the White House. Upon his arrival, he was met by

Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...

, who informed him that President Roosevelt was dead. Shocked, Truman asked her, "Is there anything I can do for you?", to which she replied: "Is there anything ''we'' can do for ''you''? For you are the one in trouble now." Chief Justice of the United States Harlan F. Stone administered the presidential oath of office; Stone began the oath "Do you, Harry Shipp Truman..." in the erroneous belief that Shipp was the President's mother's maiden name and, by extension, his middle name, to which Truman replied, "I Harry S. Truman..." before the oath was continued. Among witnesses of this ceremony were Truman's wife

Bess Truman Elizabeth Virginia Truman (''née'' Wallace; February 13, 1885October 18, 1982) was the wife of President Harry S. Truman and the first lady of the United States from 1945 to 1953. She also served as the second lady of the United States from Ja ...

, daughter Margaret Truman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Speaker Rayburn, and members of the cabinet. This was the second presidential inauguration in 1945, after the regularly scheduled inauguration for Roosevelt's fourth term on January 20. This event has the distinction of being the first extraordinary inauguration to be photographed:

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

had ejected the photographers from his 1901 inauguration after they started fighting with each other, and

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...

's 1923 inauguration was during night time with no press or electric lighting.

References

Newsreel coverage of Truman's first inauguration from C-SPAN (via YouTube)
* Robert J. Donovan, ''Conflict and Crisis. The Presidency of Harry S. Truman, 1945-1948''. University of Missouri Press, 1996 , 9780826210661. {{DEFAULTSORT:First Inauguration Of Harry S. Truman Truman 1945 Inauguration 1945 Truman Truman White House April 1945 events in the United States

See also

References