Inauguration of Jimmy Carter
Encyclopedia
The inauguration of Jimmy Carter as the 39th President of the United States
was held on January 20, 1977. The inauguration marked the commencement of the four-year term of Jimmy Carter
as President and Walter Mondale
as Vice President
and also marked the end of a shortened term served by Carter's predecessor, Gerald Ford
. Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
administered the Oath of office to Jimmy Carter, and House Speaker Tip O'Neill
administered the Oath of office to Walter Mondale. This was the last inauguration that was set up on the East Portico of the U. S. Capitol
.
, open to VI Micah 6:8 and also the Bible originally used by George Washington
. The Bible that formerly belonged to Washington was at the time in the possession of St. John's Mason Lodge No. 1. The weather was cold, but sunny, with a wind chill factor in the teens. The estimated noon time temperature was at about 28 degrees, but the cold did not stop many excited spectators from catching a glimpse of the new president being sworn into office. Carter ended the Oath with the famous words, "so help me God
"
Carter continues on to address Americans with a 1,228 word speech, and in it, the new president encourages living the American
way of life and looks toward the future
while connecting it with the past. Carter speaks of bringing "a new spirit among us all" and urges Americans to "reject the prospect of failure or mediocrity". Above all, Carter shows that he is most hopeful that someday "the nations of the world might say that we had built a lasting peace, built not on weapons of war but on international policies which reflect our own most precious values".
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Carter became the first president to walk from the Capitol to the White House
in the post-ceremony parade. Carter also requested that the traditional Inaugural luncheon, an event hosted by the JCCIC (Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies), be canceled. Coverage of the event was provided by CBS
and the ceremony was televised throughout the United States
. Carter popularized the ILY sign
when he signaled it to a group of Deaf
people. Prior to this, the ILY was an obscure sign only used among a specific Deaf community in the Midwest. Today, it has become an international signal in both Deaf and hearing culture, informally meaning "I Love You."
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
was held on January 20, 1977. The inauguration marked the commencement of the four-year term of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
as President and Walter Mondale
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale is an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 42nd Vice President of the United States , under President Jimmy Carter, and as a United States Senator for Minnesota...
as Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
and also marked the end of a shortened term served by Carter's predecessor, Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
. Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
Warren E. Burger
Warren E. Burger
Warren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
administered the Oath of office to Jimmy Carter, and House Speaker Tip O'Neill
Tip O'Neill
Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. was an American politician. O'Neill was an outspoken liberal Democrat and influential member of the U.S. Congress, serving in the House of Representatives for 34 years and representing two congressional districts in Massachusetts...
administered the Oath of office to Walter Mondale. This was the last inauguration that was set up on the East Portico of the U. S. Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
.
Inauguration
Carter took the Oath with a Family BibleBible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, open to VI Micah 6:8 and also the Bible originally used by George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. The Bible that formerly belonged to Washington was at the time in the possession of St. John's Mason Lodge No. 1. The weather was cold, but sunny, with a wind chill factor in the teens. The estimated noon time temperature was at about 28 degrees, but the cold did not stop many excited spectators from catching a glimpse of the new president being sworn into office. Carter ended the Oath with the famous words, "so help me God
So help me God
So help me God is a phrase often used to give an oath, and most commonly required as part of an oath of office. It is also used in some jurisdictions as a form of oath for other forms of public duty, such as an appearance in court, service as a juror, etc....
"
Carter continues on to address Americans with a 1,228 word speech, and in it, the new president encourages living the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
way of life and looks toward the future
Future
The future is the indefinite time period after the present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the nature of the reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently exists and will exist is temporary and will come...
while connecting it with the past. Carter speaks of bringing "a new spirit among us all" and urges Americans to "reject the prospect of failure or mediocrity". Above all, Carter shows that he is most hopeful that someday "the nations of the world might say that we had built a lasting peace, built not on weapons of war but on international policies which reflect our own most precious values".
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Carter became the first president to walk from the Capitol to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in the post-ceremony parade. Carter also requested that the traditional Inaugural luncheon, an event hosted by the JCCIC (Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies), be canceled. Coverage of the event was provided by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and the ceremony was televised throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Carter popularized the ILY sign
ILY sign
The ILY is a sign from American Sign Language which, as a gesture, has moved into the mainstream. Seen primarily in the United States and other Americanized countries, the sign originated among deaf schoolchildren using American Sign Language to create a sign from a combination of the signs for the...
when he signaled it to a group of Deaf
Deaf American
A Deaf American is defined as a member of the American Sign Language linguistic minority. Though they are typically medically deaf, they can also include the children of Deaf people and a few hearing people who learn ASL and become adopted into the community...
people. Prior to this, the ILY was an obscure sign only used among a specific Deaf community in the Midwest. Today, it has become an international signal in both Deaf and hearing culture, informally meaning "I Love You."