Invitations to the first inauguration of Barack Obama
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One million invitations to Barack Obama's inauguration were sent out in the first week of January 2009. Printed between December 11, 2008, and January 2, 2009, the invitations invited people to celebrate Barack Obama's
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 ...
as the forty-fourth President of the United States. The invitations have kept the same basic design of a gold seal and black script since the 1949 inauguration of
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
, but this invitation was produced in a green manner, using recycled paper, by companies certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).


Preparations


Design

The invitations have followed the same design since those for
Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...
's presidential inauguration on January 20, 1949. The invitations have a gold embossed inauguration seal at the top of the page and black-inked script using customized Shelley Alegro and Kuenstler typefaces. The invitation reads, "The
Presidential Inaugural Committee The inauguration of the president of the United States is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of the president of the United States. During this ceremony, between 73 to 79 days after the presidential election, the pres ...
requests the honor of your presence to attend and participate in the Inauguration of Barack H. Obama as President of the United States of America and Joseph R. Biden Jr. as Vice President of the United States of America on Tuesday, the twentieth of January two thousand and nine in the city of Washington."


Printing

Ink for the invitations was supplied by Chicago company BuzzInk, and the
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies A Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is a special joint committee of the United States Congress formed every four years to manage presidential inaugurations. Such committee has been formed every four years since the 1901 inauguration of Willi ...
selected Precise Continental of Brooklyn, New York, to print the invitations. Precise Continental was selected because it is a union company, uses recycled paper, and is Forest Stewardship Council certified. The printing technique for the invitations was engraving. The design was cut into the surface of a copper plate, which was then inked and inserted into a printing press with a sheet of paper. The result is a slightly raised impression on the front of the page and a slightly indented impression on the bottom. The first plate had to be scrapped because it was engraved without the President's middle initial. The golden seal was engraved in three printing runs. The first print laid down a rough-textured basic gold shape. The second run added smoothness and shine, and the final print run added the fine details to the seal. One million invitations were printed over 20 hours every day between December 11, 2008, and January 2, 2009, with employees working in two shifts and taking breaks only on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The invitations were printed one at a time on 11×17 sheets of paper, which were then cut in half to 8½×11 sheets.


Paper

The paper used to print the invitations on initially came from Michigan. Waste paper collected from local companies in
Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...
was collected by Louis Padnos Iron & Metal. It was shipped to Wisconsin, where it was turned into pulp. The Whiting Paper Mill, owned by Neenah Paper, another FSC certified company, converted the pulp into ''CLASSIC CREST Recycled 100 Natural White Papers manufactured by Neenah Paper'', which contains FSC certified fibers and is made with 100 percent renewable green energy in a completely carbon-neutral, chlorine-free process. The paper was delivered to Precise by Central National-Gottesman, another FSC certified company.


Mailing

Prompt Mailers of Staten Island, New York, mailed the invitations, which also included a letter from the Presidential Inaugural Committee and a leaflet from the inaugural store. Between December 31, 2008, and January 7, 2009, 3,100 to 3,500 envelopes were filled and sealed every hour.


Recipients

Invitations were sent to the chiefs of diplomatic missions to the United States and their spouses but not to any other representatives of foreign countries. As a result, North Korea's offer to send a senior envoy was rejected. The Tuskegee Airmen were among the invited guests for the inauguration. The five-person crew of US Airways Flight 1549, including pilot Chesley Sullenberger, were also invited. Entertainment industry figures such as
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
,
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...
, Dustin Hoffman,
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
, John Cusack, and
Oprah Winfrey Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
received invitations, as well as politicians such as
Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, Governor of California; Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy; and Arizona Senator
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
. The invitation to Evangelical pastor Rick Warren drew some criticism. Eighty-seven-year-old Sarah Obama led a group of Obama's Kenyan relatives from his father's home village of
Kogelo Nyang'oma Kogelo, also known as Kogelo, is a village in Siaya County, Kenya. It is located near the equator, 60 kilometres (37 mi) west-northwest of Kisumu, the former Nyanza provincial capital. The population of Nyangoma-Kogelo is 3, ...
. Other relatives traveling to Washington from Kenya as guests included Obama's aunt Maggie Obama and an uncle, Said Obama. Members of the general public also received invitations to the inaugural ceremony. Invitations were sent to constituents, who received one of the 240,000 color-coded tickets to the inaugural ceremony distributed by
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
congressional members of the
111th U.S. Congress The 111th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. It began during the last weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with th ...
.


References


External links


Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Presidential Inauguration Committee

Neenah Paper

Central National-Gottesman

Precise Continental
{{DEFAULTSORT:Obama, Barack First inauguration of Barack Obama