With
the political convention season in full swing, remembrances and tributes are
being made to those Presidents who came before. We have had 44 presidents in
the U.S. since 1789. Thirty-eight
have died, eight while in office. Thirteen Presidents have had the honor of having a state funeral.
 |
| To Lie in State |
 |
| State Funeral |
A
state funeral is a public funeral held in the nation’s capitol, Washington
D.C., usually for a current or past President of the United States. It can also be held for a
President-elect or someone the President has chosen to receive the honor.
 |
| President William H. Harrison |
 |
| Harrison's Memorial |
The
first official state funeral was held for our ninth president, William Henry
Harrison, in 1841. Harrison was
the first president to die while in office, only 32 days after taking his oath. With no protocol established, Alexander
Hunter, a Washington merchant was commissioned to plan the ceremony. Harrison’s
casket was carried to a vault at Congressional Cemetery in Washington D.C. He was later buried in North Bend, Ohio
at the William Henry Harrison Tomb State Memorial.
 |
| President Zachary Taylor |
 |
| Taylor's Mausoleum |
 |
| Taylor's Funeral |
President
Zachary Taylor was given a state funeral when he died of cholera on July 9,
1850. The procedure for the
twelfth president was similar to that for Harrison. Taylor’s horse followed the black and white caisson with a
riderless saddle and a pair of riding boots reversed in the stirrups. Taylor was first interred in a vault at
the Congressional Cemetery. He was
later buried on the Taylor plantation in Louisville, Kentucky.
 |
| President James Garfield |
 |
| Garfield's Mausoleum |
 |
| Garfield Lying in State |
Twentieth
President James A. Garfield was shot on July 2, 1881. He died ten weeks later, on September 19th of a massive heart
attack and pneumonia. Garfield's body lay
in state in the Capitol Rotunda, viewed by over 100,000 people. He was
temporarily interred in a vault at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio before
being moved to a mausoleum there.
 |
| President William McKinley |
 |
| McKinley's Monument |
 |
| McKinley's Funeral |
On September 1901, 25th President William McKinley was shot by an
assassin. At first it was thought
he would survive, but on September 13, he became worse and died early in the
morning on the 14th. Over a hundred thousand people filed past
McKinley’s in the Capitol Rotunda.
His body was then taken to the Stark County Courthouse in Canton, Ohio
where still another one hundred thousand paid their respects. McKinley’s casket was placed in a vault
at West Lawn Cemetery in Canton until his tomb was completed.
 |
| Harding Memorial |
 |
| President Warren Harding |
 |
| Harding's Funeral |
In
1923, President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack while traveling across
the country. Harding’s casket was sent by train from San Francisco back to
Washington. On August 8, the
casket was mounted on a caisson and taken to the Capitol Rotunda to lie in
state. Flags were lowered to half-staff.
Harding was interred in a receiving vault at the Marion Cemetery in
Marion, Ohio. He was later moved
to the Harding Memorial in Marion.
 |
| President William Taft |
 |
| Taft's Marker |
 |
| Taft's Funeral |
It
was March 8, 1930 when President William Howard Taft died. He was also the
first President to be a Chief Justice of the United States. His casket lie in state
at the Capitol Rotunda, before a funeral service was held at All Soul’s
Unitarian Church. Justices of the
U.S. Supreme Court acted as honorary pallbearers for his funeral. Taft was the first President to be
buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
 |
| Roosevelt's Grave |
 |
| President John F. Kennedy |
 |
| Kennedy's Grave |
 |
| Kennedy Lying in State |
President
John F. Kennedy had been in office less than two years when he was killed
by an assassin’s bullet. He is the youngest president to die in office. Kennedy’s state funeral followed the
exact protocol of Lincoln’s.
Planned by military and government officials, the President lie in
repose in the East Room of the White House. Over 250,000 mourners filed past Kennedy’s casket in the
Capitol Rotunda. He was then
interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
 |
| President Herbert Hoover |
 |
| Hoover's Grave |
 |
| Hoover's Casket |
In
1964, Herbert Hoover died at the age of 90. Hoover was given full military honors when he died. Military guards of honor were present
during the funeral service held at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church. Hoover lie in state in the Capitol
Rotunda for two days before his remains were flown to the Herbert Hoover
Presidential Library and Museum in West
Branch, Iowa for burial.
NOTE:
 |
| President Jimmy Carter |
 |
| Carter Sworn In |
Hoover was the longest retired President, having left office 31 years, 7
months, 16 days before his death. His was the longest retirement of any U.S.
President – until today. As of
September 7, 2012, President Jimmy Carter is the longest retired President in
the country’s history.
 |
| President Dwight D. Eisenhower |
 |
| Eisenhower's Grave |
 |
| Eisenhower's Funeral |
In
1969, 34th President Dwight D. Eisenhower was given military rites
in honor of his role as Supreme Allied Commander during WW II. Flags around the country were lowered
to half-staff for 30 days.
Eisenhower lie in repose at Washington National Cathedral for 28 hours
before being moved to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda. Eisenhower's funeral service
was held at Washington National Cathedral. He was interred in a chapel at the Eisenhower Presidential
Library in Abilene, Kansas, buried in his WW II uniform.
 |
| President Lyndon B. Johnson |
When
Lyndon B. Johnson died of a heart attack on January 22, 1973, his period of
mourning overlapped with that of former President Harry S. Truman. Truman had died on December 26, 1972.
Truman’s family decided not to have a state funeral and private services were
held at the Harry Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence,
Missouri. Flags were flown at
half-staff for 30 days for Truman and for Johnson.
 |
| Johnson's Funeral |
 |
| Johnson's Grave |
President Johnson
did have a state funeral and lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda for two
days. The U.S. Air Force preformed
a flyover during the funeral procession.
Services were held at National City Christian Church. Johnson was flown back to Texas where
he was buried on his ranch, part of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical
Park, in Stonewall, Texas.
 |
| Regan's Grave |
 |
| President Ronald Regan |
 |
| Regan's Funeral |
A state funeral was held for President Ronald Regan in 2004. Regan was
interred at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Over 200,000 mourners filed past Regan’s casket at the Capitol Rotunda during the
four days he lie in state. A
national funeral service was held at Washington National Cathedral. Regan was buried at the Ronald Regan
Presidential Library in California.
 |
| Ford Grave |
 |
| President Gerald R. Ford |
 |
| Ford Lying in State |
The
last president to have died, and to have had a state funeral, was Gerald R.
Ford in 2006. Ford lie in state at
the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. for three days. He was then flown
home to Grand Rapids, Michigan where he was interred at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Museum. Ford was the longest-lived president in U.S. history – 93
years, 8months and 68 days.
As
a side note:
 |
| Riderless Horse |
 |
| Lincoln's Horse 'Old Bob' |
The
riderless horse is a tradition in a presidential funeral procession. This first occurred in 1799 during
George Washington’s funeral.
President Lincoln’s funeral train was met in Springfield, Illinois by
his horse, “Old Bob,” draped in a black mourning blanket. The riderless horse
is led by a single honor guard on foot.
A set of boots, reversed in the stirrups, symbolizes a fallen warrior
who will never ride again.
~
Joy
