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Only sixteen others had been inaugurated a second time
before George W. Bush put his hand on the open family
Bible and repeated once again the oath of office for
President of the United States. Unlike his own father, and
John Quincy Adams, the only other man to be both the
President and the son of a President, Bush won his heavily
contested re -election and stood with his familiar
confidence at the center of the events formalizing his new
administration.
only took a few minutes to select a gown she already had
in her closet. It was navy blue, long sleeved and ankle
length. She wore it to a candlelight dinner, the highlight
for her of the inaugural festivities, and was able to sit in
close proximity to President Bush and the First Lady. The
attendees were a mixed group that included the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, guru Karl Rove, Speaker of
the House, Dennis Hastert, and boxing promoter, Don
King.
Bush has since delivered his State of the Union speech
and sent a new budget to the Hill, but it is the day of his
inaugural that has provided a
permanent page in history.
Of course, a California legislator visiting in Washington
D.C. is likely to be asked questions about the Golden State.
The most common was one that was
never anticipated at the last inaugural
four years ago. Everyone wanted to
know how well Mimi knows Arnold.
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On that cold morning, a young
California Assemblywoman from
Orange County, Mimi Walters, was
in the standing area on the
Congressional side of the Capitol
watching the panoply unfold. She
could see through a veil of trees as
President Bush took his place on
the balcony. Perhaps not the best
seat, but a remarkable moment for
a woman who, twenty-four years
earlier, took an internship working
in Washington D.C. before
attending UCLA.
Side Story: Inauguration Facts
Shortest Inaugural address – George Washington
(the first inaugural was 135 words)
First to receive the oath of office from the Chief
Justice of the United States – John Adams
First President who was not born a British subject –
Martin Van Buren (Our 8 th president)
First President to arrive in Washington by railroad
– William H. Harrison (also 1 st to die in office)
First Inauguration covered by telegraph – James K.
Polk (died from exhaustion after leaving office)
The
first
inaugural
Mimi
remembers hearing was President
First Inauguration to have been photographed –
Ronald Reagan’s in January of
James Buchanan (preceded Lincoln, and was a
bachelor who could write with both hands)
1981. She was eighteen. Mimi
was barely voting age, and had cast
Assemblywoman Mimi Walters (2005)
First time African Americans participated in the
her first vote in a Presidential
Inaugural parade – Abraham Lincoln
election. She voted for Reagan, the former California
First Inaugural ceremony recorded by a motion picture camera – William
governor.
Assemblywoman Walters says the atmosphere for the
Bush inaugural was celebratory without losing a sense of
reverence. The speech, which Bush carefully delivered,
was just shy of eighteen minutes long. Walters believes
the most important message was the clear affirmation by
President Bush to spread freedom and democracy
throughout the world.
McKinley (assassinated in 1901, making Theodore Roosevelt our
youngest president)
First time women participated in the Inaugural parade – Woodrow Wilson
First President to ride to and from his Inauguration in an automobile –
Warren G. Harding (he sold insurance before entering politics)
First Inaugural ceremony broadcast nationally by radio – Calvin Coolidge
First televised Inaugural ceremony – Harry S Truman
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The inaugural is not unlike the Oscars or the Grammies
when the big cars pull up to the curb and the attendees step
out to be greeted by photographers. Style oftentimes
overcomes substance. The designers for the evening
gowns on display get more attention in some circles than
the speechwriters or the President’s advisers.
Mimi did not buy into it, probably because the newly
elected legislator didn’t have time to go shopping. She
First time a poet participated in the Inaugural program – John F. Kennedy
First time a woman administered the oath of office (U.S. District Judge
Sarah T. Hughes) – Lyndon B. Johnson
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First Inaugural ceremony broadcast live on the Internet – William
Jefferson Clinton (the Internet was not created by his Vice-President)
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Major source: Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
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Spring 2005
page 9 Witness to history
Tuesday, March 01, 2005 1:18:28 PM
CALIFORNIA CONVERSATIONS
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