Trivia: Teddy Roosevelt Sworn In Without a Bible

By Alex in Daily Trivia, Politics on Feb 6, 2008 at 4:04 am

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt was the only U.S. President sworn in without a Bible.

Ansley Wilcox, who owned the Wilcox Mansion where Roosevelt was inaugurated, wrote: "According to my best recollection no Bible was used, but President Roosevelt was sworn in with uplifted hand." (The Presidents and Their Wives)

Franklin Pierce was the only president who affirmed the oath of office, and was not sworn in at all. (More Presidential Inauguration Trivia here: Link)

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Dan
Feb 6th, 2008 at 4:30 am
I think to be technically accurate, you need to rephrase.

You say “Theodore Roosevelt was the only U.S. President not sworn in on a Bible.”, but then you describe that Franklin Pierce was not sworn in. Therefore, Franklin Pierce was not sworn in on anything, including a bible. A more accurate, but still enticing, way to put it might be, “Theodore Roosevelt was the only U.S. President sworn in without a Bible.”

Thanks for the stream of neat stuff,
-Dan
Alex
Feb 6th, 2008 at 4:32 am
So noted and changed! Thanks Dan!
Nicholas Dollak
Feb 6th, 2008 at 6:11 am
I’ve always found the practice of “swearing on a Bible” to be puzzling and kind of blasphemous, since it clearly instructs us NOT to swear — on anything! Perhaps Pierce and Roosevelt felt this way too.
Man or Monster
Feb 6th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Matthew 5:33-37 (YLT) (Jesus is speaking)

33 Again, ye heard that it was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not swear falsely, but thou shalt pay to the Lord thine oaths;

34 but I — I say to you, not to swear at all; neither by the heaven, because it is the throne of God,

35 nor by the earth, because it is His footstool, nor by Jerusalem, because it is a city of a great king,

36 nor by thy head mayest thou swear, because thou art not able one hair to make white or black;

37 but let your word be, Yes, Yes, No, No, and that which is more than these is of the evil.
—————————–
The OT commanded that one does not swear falsely. Jesus stated that one should not swear at all, to just let their “Yes” and “No” mean exactly that, to always tell the truth so that there is no reason to swear.

So yes, it seems ridiculous that anyone should swear on the Bible (or on anything else for that matter), because anyone who believes the Bible should know not to swear on it. Apparently Roosevelt didn’t want “In God We Trust” on money, as he felt it was blasphemous. I assume he refused to swear on the Bible for the same reason.
Peter
Feb 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Ah, another reason he was a great President
Allen Garvin
Feb 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Pierce was the first to affirm, but not the only one. Herbert Hoover, being a Quaker, also affirmed instead of swearing, though he did use a Bible. (see for instance: http://inaugural.senate.gov/history/factsandfirsts/)

I’ve read that John Quincy Adams didn’t use a Bible either, but perhaps there might just be a lack of evidence to come down to us.
Oscar
Feb 6th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
After Kennedy was assassinated, LBJ was sworn in on Air Force One with a Catholic book of prayers because they couldn’t find a bible. This is also the first time that a woman swore a president in.
rita
Apr 28th, 2008 at 6:30 am
that is why the world is going to hell cause they have took our God out of everything
re:rita
Jan 7th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
and telling them they are going to hell is clearly the solution….
Arthur Mboue
Jan 23rd, 2009 at 1:10 pm
swearing in w/o a bible or koran may be unconstitutional.(Osama, Obama, Teddy roosevelt, Peter Botha,..) The court has yet to grant atheists group this ‘unprecedent’ victory,
In God we [still] trust
Arthur Mboue MBA, JD,
Re:Rita (2)
Feb 11th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Rita,
So nice that you say “our God”, good thing you obviously chose (yes chose) the right one to follow, instead of “their God”, whomever that may be.

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