Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies


A Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is a special joint committee of the United States Congress formed every four years to manage presidential inaugurations. Such committee has been formed every four years since the 1901 inauguration of William McKinley.
The members are sitting U.S. Senators and Representatives. Typically, the House members include the Speaker of the House as well as the House majority and minority leaders. The Senate members are drawn from the leadership of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. A senator acts as chair, and is therefore drawn from the majority party of the Senate. Membership in the committee gives its members the opportunity to control tickets to the inauguration ceremonies.

1901 committee

MajorityMinority
Senate members
  • Mark Hanna, Ohio, Chair
  • John Coit Spooner, Wisconsin
  • James Kimbrough Jones, Arkansas
  • House members
  • Joseph Gurney Cannon, Illinois
  • John Dalzell, Pennsylvania
  • Thomas Chipman McRae, Arkansas
  • 1905 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • John Coit Spooner, Wisconsin, Chair
    • Nelson W. Aldrich, Rhode Island
  • Augustus Octavius Bacon, Georgia
  • House members
  • John Dalzell, Pennsylvania
  • Edgar D. Crumpacker, Indiana
  • John Sharp Williams, Mississippi
  • 1909 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Philander C. Knox, Pennsylvania, Chair
    • Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts
  • Augustus Octavius Bacon, Georgia
  • House members
  • James F. Burke, Pennsylvania
  • Olin Young, Michigan
  • John W. Gaines, Tennessee
  • 1913 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Winthrop M. Crane, Massachusetts, Chair
  • Augustus Octavius Bacon, Georgia
  • Lee Slater Overman, North Carolina
  • House members
  • William W. Rucker, Missouri
  • Finis J. Garrett, Tennessee
  • William B. McKinley, Illinois
  • 1917 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Lee Slater Overman, North Carolina, Chair
    • M. Hoke Smith, Georgia
  • Francis E. Warren, Wyoming
  • House members
  • William W. Rucker, Missouri
  • Finis J. Garrett, Tennessee
  • William B. McKinley, Illinois
  • 1921 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
  • Lee Slater Overman, North Carolina
  • House members
  • Joseph Gurney Cannon, Illinois
  • Frank Reavis, Nebraska
  • William W. Rucker, Missouri
  • *Charles Manly Stedman, North Carolina
  • 1925 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Charles Curtis, Kansas, Chair
    • Frederick Hale, Maine
  • Lee Slater Overman, North Carolina
  • House members
  • William Walton Griest, Pennsylvania
  • Lindley H. Hadley, Washington
  • Arthur B. Rouse, Kentucky
  • 1929 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • George H. Moses, New Hampshire, Chair
    • Frederick Hale, Maine
  • Lee Slater Overman, North Carolina
  • House members
  • Bertrand Snell, Kentucky
  • Leonidas C. Dyer, Missouri
  • Edward W. Pou, North Carolina
  • 1933 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Joseph Taylor Robinson, Arkansas, Chair
  • George H. Moses, New Hampshire
  • Frederick Hale, Maine
  • House members
  • Edward W. Pou, North Carolina
  • Henry Rainey, Illinois
  • Bertrand Snell, Kentucky
  • 1937 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Matthew M. Neely, West Virginia, Chair
    • Joseph Taylor Robinson, Arkansas
  • Frederick Hale, Maine
  • House members
  • John O'Connor, New York
  • Robert L. Doughton, North Carolina
  • Bertrand Snell, Kentucky
  • 1941 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Matthew M. Neely, West Virginia, Chair
    • Alben W. Barkley, Kentucky
  • Charles L. McNary, Oregon
  • House members
  • Sam Rayburn, Texas
  • Robert L. Doughton, North Carolina
  • Joseph W. Martin Jr., Massachusetts
  • 1945 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Harry F. Byrd, Virginia, Chair
    • Kenneth McKellar, Tennessee
  • Arthur Vandenberg, Michigan
  • House members
  • Sam Rayburn, Texas
  • Robert L. Doughton, North Carolina
  • Joseph W. Martin Jr., Massachusetts
  • 1949 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
  • Kenneth S. Wherry, Nebraska
  • Charles W. Brooks, Illinois
  • House members
  • Harry R. Sheppard, California
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • Charles A. Halleck, Indiana
  • Leslie C. Arends, Illinois
  • 1953 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Styles Bridges, New Hampshire, Chair
    • Margaret Chase Smith, Maine
    • *Herman Welker, Idaho
  • Carl Hayden, Arizona
  • Ernest McFarland, Arizona
  • House members
  • Leslie C. Arends, Illinois
  • Joseph W. Martin Jr., Massachusetts
  • Sam Rayburn, Texas
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • 1957 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Styles Bridges, New Hampshire, Chair
  • John Sparkman, Alabama
  • Theodore F. Green, Rhode Island
  • House members
  • Joseph W. Martin Jr., Massachusetts
  • Sam Rayburn, Texas
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • 1961 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • John Sparkman, Alabama, Chair
    • Thomas C. Hennings Jr., Missouri
    • *Carl Hayden, Arizona
  • Styles Bridges, New Hampshire
  • House members
  • Sam Rayburn, Texas
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • Charles A. Halleck, Indiana
  • 1965 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
  • Leverett Saltonstall, Massachusetts
  • House members
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • Carl Albert, Oklahoma
  • Charles A. Halleck, Indiana
  • 1969 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Everett Dirksen, Illinois, Chair
  • B. Everett Jordan, North Carolina
  • Mike Mansfield, Montana
  • House members
  • Gerald Ford, Michigan
  • John W. McCormack, Massachusetts
  • Carl Albert, Oklahoma
  • 1973 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • B. Everett Jordan, North Carolina, Chair
    • *Howard Cannon, Nevada, Chair
    • Mike Mansfield, Montana
  • Marlow Cook, Kentucky
  • House members
  • Carl Albert, Oklahoma
  • Hale Boggs, Louisiana
  • *Tip O'Neill, Massachusetts
  • Gerald Ford, Michigan
  • 1977 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Howard Cannon, Nevada, Chair
    • Robert Byrd, West Virginia
  • Mark Hatfield, Oregon
  • House members
  • Tip O'Neill, Massachusetts
  • Jim Wright, Texas
  • John Jacob Rhodes, Arizona
  • 1981 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Mark Hatfield, Oregon, Chair
    • Howard Baker, Tennessee
  • Robert Byrd, West Virginia
  • Claiborne Pell, Rhode Island
  • House members
  • John Jacob Rhodes, Arizona
  • Robert H. Michel, Illinois
  • Tip O'Neill, Massachusetts
  • Jim Wright, Texas
  • 1985 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Charles Mathias, Maryland, Chair
    • Howard Baker, Tennessee
    • *Bob Dole, Kansas
  • Wendell Ford, Kentucky
  • House members
  • Tip O'Neill, Massachusetts
  • Jim Wright, Texas
  • Robert H. Michel, Illinois
  • 1989 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Wendell Ford, Kentucky, Chair
    • Robert Byrd, West Virginia
  • Ted Stevens, Alaska
  • House members
  • Jim Wright, Texas
  • Tom Foley, Washington
  • Robert H. Michel, Illinois
  • 1993 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Wendell Ford, Kentucky, Chair
    • George J. Mitchell, Maine
  • Ted Stevens, Alaska
  • House members
  • Tom Foley, Washington
  • Dick Gephardt, Missouri
  • Robert H. Michel, Illinois
  • 1997 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • John Warner, Virginia, Chair
    • Trent Lott, Mississippi
  • Wendell Ford, Kentucky
  • House members
  • Newt Gingrich, Georgia
  • Dick Armey, Texas
  • Dick Gephardt, Missouri
  • 2001 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Mitch McConnell, Kentucky, Chair
    • Trent Lott, Mississippi
  • Chris Dodd, Connecticut
  • House members
  • Dennis Hastert, Illinois
  • Dick Armey, Texas
  • Dick Gephardt, Missouri
  • 2005 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Trent Lott, Mississippi, Chair
    • Bill Frist, Tennessee
  • Chris Dodd, Connecticut
  • House members
  • Dennis Hastert, Illinois
  • Tom DeLay, Texas
  • Nancy Pelosi, California
  • 2009 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Dianne Feinstein, California, Chair
    • Harry Reid, Nevada
  • Bob Bennett, Utah
  • House members
  • Nancy Pelosi, California
  • Steny Hoyer, Maryland
  • John Boehner, Ohio
  • 2013 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Chuck Schumer, New York, Chair
    • Harry Reid, Nevada
  • Lamar Alexander, Tennessee
  • House members
  • John Boehner, Ohio
  • Eric Cantor, Virginia
  • Nancy Pelosi, California
  • 2017 committee

    MajorityMinority
    Senate members
    • Roy Blunt, Missouri, Chair
    • Mitch McConnell, Kentucky
  • Chuck Schumer, New York
  • House members
  • Paul Ryan, Wisconsin
  • Kevin McCarthy, California
  • Nancy Pelosi, California
  • 2021 committee