Oath of Office of President Johnson
Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Near this point on November 22, 1963, Vice-President Lyndon Baines Johnson took the oath of office as 36th President of the United States. He is the first Texan to hold the office of President. The ceremony was held in the central compartment of "Air Force One," the military aircraft assigned to the President. The plane was parked on the concrete ramp at Gate 28, east concourse of this terminal. United States District Judge Sarah T. Hughes, of Dallas, a friend of long standing, was summoned to administer the oath. (Judge Hughes thus became the first woman in history to give the oath of office to a president of the United States. The new Chief Executive, with Mrs. Johnson on his right and Mrs. John F. Kennedy on the left, was sworn into office at 2:38 p.m.In the stresses of the day President Johnson had executive duties thrust upon him immediately during the flight to the Capitol. For over 30 years he had been in public service. Like some of his ancestors (including a university president) he had taught school, as a young man. He had served with distinction in Congress, 1937 to 1949; and in the U.S. Senate, 1949 - 1960, with an unsurpassed record as Senate Majority Leader.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
On November 22, 1963, hours after President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson took the oath of office aboard Air Force One at Love Field. His longtime friend, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes, administered it at 2:38 p.m., with Lady Bird Johnson at his side and a grieving Jacqueline Kennedy beside them. Johnson became the first Texan to hold the presidency.
Why it matters
This somber ceremony marked one of the most abrupt transfers of power in American history—and made Judge Sarah Hughes the first woman ever to swear in a U.S. president.
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Related people
- · Lyndon Baines Johnson
- · Sarah T. Hughes
- · Jacqueline Kennedy
Related events
- · Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Themes & tags
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