State funerals in the United States - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

State funerals in the United States are public funerals held in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

that are offered to a sitting or ex-President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, a President-elect

President-elect of the United States

President-elect of the United States is the title used for an incoming President of the United States in the period between the general election on Election Day in November and noon eastern standard time on Inauguration Day, January 20, during which he is not in office yet...

, as well as other people designated by the President. Administered by the Military District of Washington

Military District of Washington

The United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C...

(MDW), state funerals are greatly influenced by protocol

Etiquette

Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...

, steeped in tradition

Tradition

A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...

, and rich in history

History

History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...

. However, the overall planning as well as the decision to hold a state funeral, is largely determined by the President before his death and the First Family

First Family of the United States

The First Family of the United States is the unofficial title for the family of the President of the United States, who is both head of state and head of government of the United States. Members of the First Family consist of the President, the First Lady of the United States, and any of their...

History and development

The first general mourning proclaimed in the United States came upon the death of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...

in 1790, followed by the death of George Washington

George Washington

George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

in 1799. Preparations for Franklin's funeral after his death on April 17, 1790 included a procession to Independence Hall

Independence Hall

Independence Hall is the centerpiece of Independence National Historical Park located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on Chestnut Street between 5th and 6th Streets...

(then known as the Pennsylvania State House) in Philadelphia and burial at Christ Church Burial Ground

Christ Church Burial Ground

Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is an important early-American cemetery. It is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin and his wife, Deborah. Four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here, Dr. Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Joseph Hewes...

on April 21. It is estimated that 20,000 mourners gathered for Franklin's funeral. The cortege was composed of Philadelphia society, ranging from Mayor Samuel Powel

Samuel Powel

Samuel Powel was a colonial and post-colonial mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and graduated in 1759 from the College of Philadelphia . He served as mayor from 1775–1776 and 1789–1790, the office having lain vacant in the interim...

to American astronomer David Rittenhouse

David Rittenhouse

David Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official...

.
Muffled bells rang and flags on the mast of ships as well as atop all government buildings flew at half-staff

Half-staff

Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...

. The United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

convened in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, which at the time served as the nation's capital, and passed a concurrent resolution

Concurrent resolution

A concurrent resolution is a resolution adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law and does not require the approval of the chief executive.-United States Congress:...

observing an official period of mourning for one month. The French National Assembly

French National Assembly

The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....

, at the suggestion of Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau

Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau was a French revolutionary, as well as a writer, diplomat, freemason, journalist and French politician at the same time. He was a popular orator and statesman. During the French Revolution, he was a moderate, favoring a constitutional monarchy built on...

, was so moved by the death of Franklin that the legislature observed a three-day period of mourning.

When George Washington died at his Virginia plantation Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...

of acute epiglottitis

Epiglottitis

Epiglottitis is an inflammation of the epiglottis - the flap that sits at the base of the tongue, which keeps food from going into the trachea . Due to its place in the airway, swelling of this structure can interfere with breathing and constitutes a medical emergency...

on December 14, 1799, the new and young nation was stunned. In Philadelphia, which at the time served as the nation's capital for ten years while the new federal city was being built, Congress selected Henry Lee III to eulogize the president. Mock funerals were held all over the United States. Perhaps the most poignant of them all occurred on December 26, 1799. At daybreak, sixteen cannons were fired and volleys were shot on a half-hour basis in Philadelphia. An empty casket was carried in an elaborate funeral procession which consisted of two marines wearing black scarves escorting a riderless horse

Riderless horse

A riderless horse or caparisoned horse is a single horse, without a rider, and with boots reversed in the stirrups, which sometimes accompanies a funeral procession...

festooned with black and white feathers, and a bald eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

depicted on the horse's breast. A religious service was held at the German Lutheran Church officiated by Reverend William White, a bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States. The news of Washington's death had a profound effect in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul

French Consulate

The Consulate was the government of France between the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire in 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire in 1804...

, personally gave a eulogy and ordered a ten day requiem

Requiem

A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...

. In Britain, the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

was ordered to lower flags at half-mast on its entire fleet.

Washington's "real" funeral was a simple affair that was organized by the local Masonic lodge

Masonic Lodge

This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...

and held on December 18, 1799. In his will, Washington stated, "[I]t is my express desire that my Corpse may be Interred in a private manner, without parade, or funeral Oration." The funeral procession consisted of the president's casket mounted on and using a caissons, foot soldiers, clergy, and a caparisoned, riderless horse. Upon arrival at a red brick tomb on a hillside in the environs of Mount Vernon, the casket was placed on a wood bier for grieving mourners to gather around for a final viewing and clergy to conduct funeral rites. Reverend Thomas Davis, rector of Christ Church, Alexandria

Christ Church (Alexandria, Virginia)

Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, is an Episcopal church built from 1767 to 1773 by John Carlyle.The church was designed by James Wren in the colonial style, and frequented by such notables as George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Philip Richard Fendall I...

, read the Episcopal Order of Burial. Next, the Reverend James Muir, minister of the Alexandria Presbyterian Church, and Dr. Elisha Dick, conducted the traditional Masonic funeral rites.

Two ex-presidents, Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

and John Adams

John Adams

John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...

, both died within hours of each other on July 4, 1826, which was coincidentally the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the United States Declaration of Independence

United States Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...

. Jefferson's funeral, held in Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...

, was simple. No invitations were sent out for the religious service that was officiated by Reverend Frederick Hatch at Episcopal Church. Only friends and family members gathered at his gravesite on the grounds of Monticello

Monticello

Monticello is a National Historic Landmark just outside Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia; it is...

. It is likely that Jefferson's casket was wooden, built by Monticello slave John Hemings

John Hemings

John Hemings was born into slavery at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello as part of the large mixed-race Hemings family...

. The funeral of John Adams at the First Congregational Church (now known as the United First Parish Church

United First Parish Church, Quincy, Massachusetts

United First Parish Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, is a Unitarian Universalist congregation, established as the parish church of Quincy in 1639. The current building was constructed in 1828 to designs by Alexander Parris...

) in Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy, Massachusetts

Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...

was held on July 7 and was attended by an estimated crowd of 4,000 people. Pastor Peter Whitney officiated the service. Although many people in Boston wanted Adam's funeral to be held at the State House

Massachusetts State House

The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the "New" State House, is the state capitol and house of government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is located in Boston in the neighborhood Beacon Hill...

using taxpayer money, this idea was rescinded by the Adams family

Adams political family

The Adams family was a prominent political family in the United States during the late 18th century through early 20th centuries. Based in eastern Massachusetts, they formed part of the Boston Brahmin community.-Members:...

. Nevertheless, cannons were fired from Mount Wollaston

Mount Wollaston

Wollaston, Massachusetts, is a neighborhood in the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Divided by Hancock Street/Route 3A, the Wollaston Beach side is called Wollaston Park, while the Wollaston Hill side is called Wollaston Heights....

, bells rang, and the procession that took the president's casket from the Adams' home Peacefield

Peacefield

Peacefield, also called Old House, is a historic home formerly owned by second President of the United States, John Adams, and other members of the Adams family, located in Quincy, Massachusetts near Boston...

to the church was followed by Massachusetts Governor Levi Lincoln, Jr.

Levi Lincoln, Jr.

Levi Lincoln, Jr. was an American lawyer and politician from Worcester, Massachusetts. He was the 13th Governor of Massachusetts and represented the state in the U.S. Congress...

, Harvard University President John Thornton Kirkland

John Thornton Kirkland

John Thornton Kirkland served as President of Harvard University from 1810 to 1828. A religious minister like many of his predecessors, he is remembered chiefly for his lenient treatment of students...

, members of the state legislature, and United States Congressman Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster

Daniel Webster was a leading American statesman and senator from Massachusetts during the period leading up to the Civil War. He first rose to regional prominence through his defense of New England shipping interests...

History of presidential state funerals

The first state funeral was for William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...

in 1841, the first sitting president to die in office. Harrison had served just 32 days in office, dying due to complications of pneumonia

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...

. Before the death of Harrison, there was no established way of mourning the death of a president. Alexander Hunter, a Washington merchant, was commissioned to plan the ceremony. Hunter had the White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

draped in black ribbon and ordered a curtained, upholstered black and white carriage to carry Harrison's casket. Attended only by invitation, a religious service was held in the East Room. Dirges were played by the United States Marine Band

United States Marine Band

The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11, 1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands and the oldest professional musical organization in the United States...

during the funeral procession to the Congressional Cemetery

Congressional Cemetery

The Congressional Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the final resting place of thousands of individuals who helped form the nation and the city of Washington in the early 19th century. Many members of...

where interment occurred.

Dying of cholera

Cholera

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...

on July 9, 1850, Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...

was given a state funeral which was very similar to Harrison's nine years earlier. Behind Taylor's black and white caisson, his horse "Old Whitey" followed with a riderless saddle and a pair of riding boots reversed in the stirrups.

It was not until the assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln assassination

The assassination of United States President Abraham Lincoln took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, as the American Civil War was drawing to a close. The assassination occurred five days after the commanding General of the Army of Northern Virginia, Robert E. Lee, and his battered Army of...

on April 14, 1865 that the United States experienced a period of national mourning which was made possible by advances in innovative technologies such as the railroad and telegraph. Inconsolable, Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Todd Lincoln

Mary Ann Lincoln was the wife of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, and was First Lady of the United States from 1861 to 1865.-Life before the White House:...

did not attend Lincoln's religious service in the East Room which was lead by a sermon conducted by Reverend Phineas D. Gurley. On the Easter Sunday after Lincoln's death, clergymen around the nation praised the president in their sermons. Millions of people witnessed Lincoln's funeral procession in Washington, D.C. on April 19, 1865, and as his casket was transported 1700 miles (2,735.9 km) through New York City to Springfield, Illinois. Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...

was the first president to lie in state

Lying in state

Lying in state is a term used to describe the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city...

in the United States Capitol Rotunda

United States Capitol Rotunda

The United States Capitol rotunda is the central rotunda of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. Located below the Capitol dome, it is the tallest part of the Capitol and has been described as its "symbolic and physical heart."...

.

Dying on September 6, 1881, the remains of James A. Garfield arrived in the nation's capital on September 21. A floral arrangement was mounted on his casket, complimented with ornate "stuffed doves of peace." A large crowd of mourners numbering over 100,000 people viewed the lying in state of Garfield in the Capitol rotunda.

When the funeral train of William McKinley

William McKinley

William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...

arrived in Washington D.C. on September 16, 1901, the casket was taken to the East Room in the White House where a lavish display of palms, fruit trees, and floral arrangements transversed into the Cross Hall. The following day, McKinley's casket was transported to the Capitol rotunda where lying in state occurred.

The nation was stunned in 1923 when Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...

died of a heart attack in San Francisco. When Harding's funeral train arrived at Union Station

Union Station (Washington, D.C.)

Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...

on August 7, the casket was taken to the East Room in the White House. The following morning, the casket was mounted on a caisson and taken to the Capitol where lying in state and a funeral service was held in the presence of members of Congress

United States Congress

, the Cabinet

United States Cabinet

The Cabinet of the United States is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States, which are generally the heads of the federal executive departments...

, and dignitaries inside the Capitol rotunda. The silver casket was covered with a flag, a spread eagle, and topped off with red, white, and blue flowers personally designed by First Lady Florence Harding

Florence Harding

Florence Mabel Kling "Flossie" Harding , wife of President Warren G...

.

As the only man to be president as well as Chief Justice of the United States

Chief Justice of the United States

The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...

, William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...

was given a state funeral in Washington D.C. that was scheduled for March 11, 1930. Lying in state occurred in the Capitol rotunda and a funeral service was held at All Souls' Unitarian Church. Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...

had offered the East Room in the White House for the service. However, the president's widow, Helen Taft, decided that it would be more appropriate at the church where the president was a member of the congregation. Justices of the United States Supreme Court acted as honorary pallbearers.

Due to active military participation of the United States in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, it was decided ahead of time that Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

, who experienced a progressive deterioration of his health due to a condition known as Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...

, would not be given a state funeral as any public display of ceremonial pomp undertaken in Washington D.C. during a time of war was deemed inappropriate while American G.I.'s were dying overseas. When Roosevelt died of a cerebral hemorrhage of the brain on April 12, 1945, his remains were taken from his presidential retreat, the Little White House

Little White House

The Little White House, in the Warm Springs Historic District in Warm Springs, Georgia, was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's personal retreat. He first came to Warm Springs for treatment of his paralytic illness, and liked the area so much that, as Governor of New York, he had a home built on nearby...

, in Warm Springs, Georgia, and sent back to the White House to lie in repose in the East Room. A private funeral service was conducted in the East Room where only family members, close friends, high government officials, members of both chambers of the Congress, and heads of foreign missions attended. There was no lying in state in the Capitol rotunda. However, flags were lowered to half-staff at the White House and the Capitol, a posthumous honor that had last been bestowed to Warren G. Harding on August 2, 1923. After private funeral services were held in Washington D.C., Roosevelt's remains were transported via a funeral train

Funeral train

A funeral train is a train specially chartered in order to carry a coffin or coffins to a resting place. Funeral trains today are often reserved for leaders and national heroes, as part of a state funeral, but in the past were sometimes the chief means of transporting coffins and mourners to...

to his Hyde Park, New York residence, Springwood Estate

Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site

The Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site preserves the Springwood estate in Hyde Park, New York, United States of America. Springwood was the birthplace, lifelong home, and burial place of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin Delano Roosevelt...

, for interment.

Subsequent state funerals over the years have henceforth been loosely modeled on the Lincoln state funeral, in large part due to Jacqueline Kennedy who instructed White House Chief Usher

White House Chief Usher

White House Chief Usher is the title of the head of household staff and operations at the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States....

J.B. West to follow 19th century protocol during the state funeral of John F. Kennedy

State funeral of John F. Kennedy

The state funeral of John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, DC during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas....

. Upon hearing the news of the assassination of John F. Kennedy

Assassination of John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...

, military and federal government officials immediately began planning for a state funeral. The extensive research uncovered on Lincoln's state funeral was accomplished on the evening of November 23, 1963 by Professor James Robertson, the executive director of the United States Civil War Centennial Commission

American Civil War Centennial

The American Civil War Centennial was the official United States commemoration of the American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States...

as well as David Mearns, the director of the Library of Congress

Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...

. The two men went to the government repository where the lights were inoperative because they were connected to a timer switch and would only operate during the time the library was scheduled to be opened the following morning. Using flashlights they found copies of Frank Leslie's Illustrated
Frank Leslie's Weekly
Frank Leslie's Weekly, later often known in short as Leslie's Weekly, was an American illustrated literary and news magazine founded in 1852 and continuing publication well into the 20th century. As implied by its name, it was published weekly, on Tuesdays. Its first editor was John Y. Foster...

and Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly
Harper's Weekly was an American political magazine based in New York City. Published by Harper & Brothers from 1857 until 1916, it featured foreign and domestic news, fiction, essays on many subjects, and humor...

which depicted the Lincoln state funeral in full graphic detail. Using this information, the East Room was quickly transformed into a venue for Kennedy's remains to lie in repose, which matched the exact description of what it was like nearly a century earlier for Lincoln. It is estimated that over 250,000 mourners filed past the slain president's casket in the Capitol rotunda.

Dying in his suite at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

The Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury hotel in New York. It has been housed in two historic landmark buildings in New York City. The first, designed by architect Henry J. Hardenbergh, was on the Fifth Avenue site of the Empire State Building. The present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a...

in New York City on October 20, 1964, 90-year old Herbert Hoover

Herbert Hoover

had made plans in 1958 for a state funeral. Accorded with full military honors, over 70 soldiers from the First Army were sent to New York in order to act as guards of honor during the funeral service held at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church on October 22. When Hoover's casket arrived in Washington D.C. on October 23, his remains lay in state in the Capitol rotunda for two days before they were flown to West Branch, Iowa

West Branch, Iowa

West Branch is a city in Cedar and Johnson counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 2,342 as of July 2009, a 7% growth since the 2000 census...

for interment.

When Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...

on March 28, 1969, plans for his state funeral had been drawn up earlier in 1966, although they were somewhat altered by the Eisenhower family. With a strong emphasis on military rites

Military rites

Military rites are honors presented at a funeral for a member of a military or police force. These rites, which are performed at the burial, include the firing of rifles, presenting of a flag and or bugle calls. In Australia and New Zealand a Poppy Service is often held for members of the Armed...

in honor of Eisenhower's contribution as Supreme Allied Commander

Supreme Allied Commander

Supreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances. It originated as a term used by the Western Allies during World War II, and is currently used only within NATO. Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary...

during World War II, ceremonial and religious aspects also called for flags to be lowered to half-staff for 30 days, a lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, as well as a religious service held at Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...

.

On January 22, 1973, Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

died of a heart attack. Johnson's state funeral overlapped the mourning period of another president, Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...

, who died on December 26, 1972. Truman's family opted not to have a state funeral, instead preferring a more private funeral held at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

The Harry S Truman Library and Museum is dedicated to preserving papers, books, and other historical materials relating to the 33rd President of the United States Harry S Truman. It is located on a small hill facing U.S...

in Independence, Missouri

Independence, Missouri

Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...

. Johnson lay in state for two days in the Capitol rotunda, the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

performed a flyover during the funeral procession to the Capitol, and flags were lowered to half-staff

Half-staff

for 30 days as had been observed for Truman. The Johnson family stayed at Blair House

Blair House

Blair House is the official state guest house for the President of the United States. It is located at 1651-1653 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., opposite the Old Executive Office Building of the White House, off the corner of Lafayette Park....

during the state funeral. After funeral services were held at National City Christian Church

National City Christian Church

National City Christian Church, located on Thomas Circle in Washington, D.C., is the national cathedral for the Christian Church , often abbreviated as the "Disciples of Christ" or "Christian Church"...

on January 25, the Johnsons flew back to Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

where interment later that afternoon occurred at the Johnson ranch

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park

Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park in central Texas about 50 miles west of Austin in the Texas Hill Country. The park protects the birthplace, home, ranch and final resting place of Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States...

in Stonewall, Texas

Stonewall, Texas

Stonewall is a census-designated place in Gillespie County, Texas, United States. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. It was named for Thomas J. Jackson, by Israel P. Nunez, who established a stage station near the site in 1870....

.

When Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...

died of a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

on April 22, 1994, he was not given a state funeral in accordance with his personal wishes, though his body did lay in repose in the lobby of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum prior to funeral services held in Nixon's hometown of Yorba Linda, California

Yorba Linda, California

Yorba Linda is a suburban city in northeastern Orange County, California, approximately northeast of Downtown Santa Ana, and southeast of Downtown Los Angeles....

.

On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

died due to complications of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...

. A state funeral occurred in both Washington D.C. as well as in Simi Valley, California

Simi Valley, California

-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...

, where Reagan was interred at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Center for Public Affairs is the presidential library and final resting place of Ronald Wilson Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Designed by Hugh Stubbins and Associates, the library is located in Simi Valley, California, about northwest of...

. 200,000 mourners (5,000 per hour) filed past Reagan's casket in the Capitol rotunda between June 9–11, 2004. Over two dozen world leaders listened to eulogies given by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney

Brian Mulroney

Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...

and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...

during a national funeral service held at Washington National Cathedral.

When Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

died on December 26, 2006 due to arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease

Cerebrovascular disease

Cerebrovascular disease is a group of brain dysfunctions related to disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain. Hypertension is the most important cause; it damages the blood vessel lining, endothelium, exposing the underlying collagen where platelets aggregate to initiate a repairing process...

and diffuse arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis

Arteriosclerosis refers to a stiffening of arteries.Arteriosclerosis is a general term describing any hardening of medium or large arteries It should not be confused with "arteriolosclerosis" or "atherosclerosis".Also known by the name "myoconditis" which is...

, a state funeral was held in Palm Desert, California

Palm Desert, California

Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...

, Washington D.C., and Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

. Eulogies were given at Washington National Cathedral by ex-President George H.W. Bush, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger

Henry Kissinger

Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...

, and journalist Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw

Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...

before Ford's remains were flown to Michigan for interment at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum is part of the Presidential Libraries System of the National Archives and Records Administration, a federal agency. Unlike most other presidential libraries and museums, Ford's are two geographically separate buildings. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential...

History of non-presidential state funerals

The first non-presidential state funeral was for Thaddeus Stevens

Thaddeus Stevens

Thaddeus Stevens , of Pennsylvania, was a Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives...

in 1868. When Stevens died on August 11, mourners came to his home in Washington D.C. to pay their respects, including U.S. Senator Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...

of Massachusetts. Stevens's remains were transported by a cavalry regiment to the Capitol where he lay in state in the rotunda on August 13, 1868 until the morning of August 14. After a short funeral service, Stevens's remains were taken to Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...

for interment.

In 1921, a state funeral was conducted for the Unknown Soldier

Tomb of the Unknowns

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...

of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. The idea of honoring the unknown dead of World War I originated in Europe, the first being the United Kingdom and France on November 11, 1920. Other nations such as Italy soon followed this custom. At first, the idea of honoring a fallen and unknown soldier from World War I was met with resistance in the United States since there was no established place for burial of a fallen soldier similar to Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...

in London or the Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe

-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...

in Paris. In addition, all American servicemen who fought in the war were in the process of being identified and accounted for by the Army Graves Registration, unlike the British and French who had many unknown dead. By 1920, a resolution in Congress was proposed for such an honor and by March 4, 1921, Public Resolution 67 was approved by the 66th United States Congress

66th United States Congress

The Sixty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, comprising the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1919 to March 4, 1921, during the last two years of...

for the construction of the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Congress on October 20, 1921, declared November 11, 1921, the third anniversary of Armistice Day

Armistice Day

Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...

, a legal holiday. The War Department

United States Department of War

The United States Department of War, also called the War Department , was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army...

then began a selection process of an unknown soldier. Four bodies were exhumed from four cemeteries; Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial

Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial

The Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War I cemetery in Belleau, Northern France. It is at the foot of the hill where the Battle of Belleau Wood was fought, with many American fatalities...

, Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial

Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial

The Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery and Memorial is a World War I cemetery in France. It is located east of the village of Romagne-sous-Montfaucon in Meuse. The cemetery contains the largest number of American military dead in Europe , most of whom lost their lives during the Meuse-Argonne...

, Somme American Cemetery and Memorial

Somme American Cemetery and Memorial

Somme American Cemetery and Memorial in France is sited in the commune of Bony, on a gentle slope typical of the open, rolling Picardy countryside, in northern France. The cemetery contains the graves of 1,844 of the United States' military dead from World War I. Most lost their lives while...

, and St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial

St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial

The St. Mihiel American Cemetery and Memorial in France, in extent, contains the graves of 4,153 of American military dead from World War I. The majority of these died in the offensive that resulted in the reduction of the St. Mihiel salient that threatened Paris. The burial area is divided by...

in France. During the selection ceremony at Chalons-sur-Marne, it was Edward F. Younger

Edward F. Younger

Edward F. Younger was the American United States Army soldier selected to choose the body to be used as America's Unknown Soldier representing those lost by the U.S. during World War I....

of Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 50th Infantry, American Forces in Germany who selected the third casket from left that contained an unknown soldier to be honored with a state funeral in Washington D C. and for burial at Arlington. In Washington D.C. the unknown soldier was escorted to the Capitol in a funeral procession on November 9. With lying in state occurring in the rotunda, some 90,000 people on November 9–10 filed past the casket that rested on the Lincoln Catafalque. A funeral service was conducted at the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater

Arlington Memorial Amphitheater

The Arlington Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, near the center of the Cemetery, is the home of the Tomb of the Unknowns where Unknown American Servicemembers from World War I, World War II, and Korea are interred. This site has also hosted the state funerals of many famous...

in the presence of President Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding

. Interment and burial of the unknown soldier with military rites

Military rites

took place at the newly constructed tomb.

On July 15, 1948, General of the Armies

General of the Armies

General of the Armies of the United States, or more commonly referred to as General of the Armies, is the highest possible officer rank of the United States Army.Only two soldiers have been granted the rank of General of the Armies; John J...

John J. Pershing

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...

died at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Initially, plans for a state funeral were drawn up ten years earlier when it seemed that the general was near death. The plan was kept a closely guarded secret and during those ten years, Pershing's funeral was revised. As a military man and as one of the highest ranking commissioned officers in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, Pershing insisted that his state funeral be a military one. His remains lay in repose in the chapel at Walter Reed Army Hospital. During the state funeral scheduled for July 17–19, 1948, the public would be admitted to view Pershing lying in state in the Capitol rotunda and a funeral procession from the Capitol to Arlington National Cemetery would occur. A funeral service was held at the Memorial Amphitheatre and interment was given with military rites at the gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery. A proposal to posthumously award Pershing a six-star rank was swiftly dropped in favor of the four-star rank that the general attained in his military career.

Like the Unknown Soldier of World War I, it was decided in June 1946 by the 79th United States Congress

79th United States Congress

The Seventy-ninth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1945 to January 3, 1947, during the last months of...

that a state funeral and burial in Arlington National Cemetery would be given to an unknown soldier after the end of World War II

World War II

. However, the selection process would be simplified—an unidentified serviceman was to be chosen from each of the following: the European area

Western Front (World War II)

The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...

, the Far East area

South-East Asian theatre of World War II

The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in Burma , Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and Singapore. Conflict in the theatre began when the Empire of Japan invaded Thailand and Malaya from bases located in Indochina on December 8,...

, the Mediterranean zone, the Pacific area, the former Africa-Middle East zone now part of the Mediterranean zone, and the Alaskan Command

Alaskan Command

The Alaskan Command is a regional military command of the United States Armed Forces focusing on the state of Alaska. A sub-unified command of the United States Pacific Command, Alaskan Command is charged with maintaining air sovereignty, deploying forces for worldwide contingencies as directed by...

chosen by one of five representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, each of whom had received the highest award of his service during World War II. Plans for a state funeral was to occur between May 27–30, 1950, but this was shelved because of the outbreak of the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

. Interest though was revived in August 1955 long after the war concluded and on August 2, 1956, the 84th United States Congress

84th United States Congress

The Eighty-fourth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1955 to January 3, 1957, during the third and...

enacted Public Law 975 that authorized the burial of an unknown soldier of the Korean War in addition to the unknown soldier of World War II. The two caskets bearing the remains of the two unknown soldiers rested atop two catafalques in the Capitol rotunda. Lying in state occurred from May 28–30, 1958. A funeral procession of two-horse drawn caissons traveled from the Capitol on Constitution Avenue

Constitution Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

, 23rd Street, Arlington Memorial Bridge

Arlington Memorial Bridge

The Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C. crosses the Potomac River, connecting the Lincoln Memorial and Columbia Island. The northeastern end of the bridge marks the western edge of the National Mall...

, and Memorial Drive to Arlington National Cemetery. As the funeral cortege reached the Memorial Gate, twenty jet fighters and bombers passed overhead with one plane missing from each formation. A funeral service was held at the Memorial Amphitheatre attended by President Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

, Vice-President Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon

, and members of Congress. A burial service conducted with military rites included a three-volley salute, the playing of Taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...

, and the folding of flags. It is estimated that over 4,800 members of the Armed Forces participated in the state funeral of the unknown soldiers of World War II and the Korean War.

The most recent state funeral for an individual other than a president was for General of the Army

General of the Army (United States)

General of the Army is a five-star general officer and is the second highest possible rank in the United States Army. A special rank of General of the Armies, which ranks above General of the Army, does exist but has only been conferred twice in the history of the Army...

Douglas MacArthur

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...

in 1964. President John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

had authorized a state funeral for MacArthur and President Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

confirmed Kennedy's directive. Funeral plans drawn up in 1958 called for seven days rather than four days of ceremonial events. When MacArthur died on April 5, 1964 at Walter Reed Army Hospital, his remains were transported to New York City where he lay in repose at the Seventh Regiment Armory

Seventh Regiment Armory

The Seventh Regiment Armory, located at 643 Park Avenue also known as in New York, New York, United States, is an historic brick building that fills an entire city block on New York's Upper East Side.- History :...

. Mounted city police from the New York City Police Department

New York City Police Department

The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...

, soldiers from the First Army

First Army

The military of a number of countries had or have a First Army:* Australian First Army* Austro-Hungarian First Army* British First Army* Bulgarian First Army* Canadian First Army* Republic of China First Army and New First Army* French First Army...

, and cadets from the United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...

participated in the funeral procession on Park Avenue, 66th Street

66th Street (Manhattan)

66th Street is a crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan with portions on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side connected across Central Park via the 65th Street Transverse...

, 57th Street

57th Street (Manhattan)

57th Street is one of New York City's major east-west thoroughfares, which runs east-west in the Midtown section of the borough of Manhattan, from the New York City Department of Sanitation's dock on the Hudson River at the West Side Highway to a small park overlooking the East River built on a...

, Fifth Avenue, Broadway

Broadway (New York City)

Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...

and Seventh Avenue

Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)

Seventh Avenue, known as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard north of Central Park, is a thoroughfare on the West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is southbound below Central Park and a two-way street north of the park....

enroute to Pennsylvania Station

Pennsylvania Station (New York City)

Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...

. A funeral train transported MacArthur's remains from New York to Union Station

Union Station (Washington, D.C.)

in Washington D.C. A funeral procession on both Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues using a horse-drawn caisson took the General's remains to the Capitol for lying in state. Over the course of two days, April 8–9, over 150,000 people filed past MacArthur's casket in the Capitol rotunda. A third funeral procession occurred on Constitution Avenue that included a flyover of fifty Air Force planes over the column in salute as the horse-drawn caisson neared the site of the casket transfer to a hearse. MacArthur's remains were then transported to Washington National Airport and flown to Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk

Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk, Virginia, is a base of the United States Navy, supporting naval forces in the United States Fleet Forces Command, those operating in the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Indian Ocean...

on a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. A fourth funeral procession occurred in the streets of Norfolk, stopping at the MacArthur Memorial where lying in repose occurred in the rotunda from April 9–11. After a religious service was held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Saint Paul's Episcopal Church (Norfolk, Virginia)

Saint Paul's Episcopal Church is a historic church in Norfolk, Virginia. Built in 1739, it is the sole colonial-era building which survived the various wars that Norfolk has witnessed. The church has played host to several different denominations throughout its history...

on April 11 in Norfolk for an invited 400 guests, a fifth and final horse-drawn procession back to the MacArthur Memorial occurred. A three-volley salute, the folding of the flag, and a 19-gun salute accorded to a five-star rank of general, which MacArthur possessed, was fired before burial in a crypt.

Presidential places of burial

Eleven presidents, including the four presidents who were assassinated

Assassination

To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...

, have been honored by having their remains lie in state on the floor of the Capitol rotunda and on the Lincoln Catafalque

Lincoln catafalque

The Lincoln catafalque is a catafalque hastily constructed in 1865 to support the casket of Abraham Lincoln while the president's body lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. The catafalque has since been used for all those who have lain in state in the Capitol Rotunda, as listed...

, a bier made of pine wood purpose-built for Abraham Lincoln's coffin over 140 years ago. Growing in popularity, many presidents in recent years have been interred at their presidential libraries

Presidential library

In the United States, the Presidential library system is a nationwide network of 13 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration...

around the nation while other presidents in history, have been interred in cemeteries, tombs, crypts, vaults, in the grounds at a place of residence, and inside cathedrals. Some examples include the following. The remains of George Washington

George Washington

were interred in a tomb at his Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon

, in 1799. After falling into disrepair as well as grave robbers attempting to steal the remains of Washington, a new and more secure vault was constructed at Mount Vernon in 1831. Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

was interred at the Monticello Graveyard in the grounds of his Virginia plantation, Monticello

Monticello

, in 1826. The remains of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

were exhumed and moved a total of seventeen times, the first exhumation occurring in 1865, before the ornate and lavish Lincoln Tomb

Lincoln Tomb

Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois, is the final resting place of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, and three of their four sons. The monument is owned and administered by the State of Illinois as Lincoln Tomb State...

was finally built for final interment in 1901 at Oak Ridge Cemetery

Oak Ridge Cemetery

Oak Ridge Cemetery is a cemetery located in Springfield, Illinois in the United States.Lincoln's Tomb, which serves as the final resting place of Abraham Lincoln, his wife and all but one of his children, is located at Oak Ridge...

located in Springfield, Illinois. Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...

, who died in 1885, was interred in Riverside Park

Riverside Park (Manhattan)

Riverside Park is a scenic waterfront public park on the Upper West Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park consists of a narrow four-mile strip of land between the Hudson River and the gently...

in New York City where eventually, the construction of Grant's Tomb

Grant's Tomb

General Grant National Memorial , better known as Grant's Tomb, is a mausoleum containing the bodies of Ulysses S. Grant , American Civil War General and 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant...

housing the former president's remains was finally completed and dedicated in 1897. The remains of Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...

were interred in a sarcophagus inside Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

in 1924. William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...

and John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

were interred at Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, is a military cemetery in the United States of America, established during the American Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, formerly the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee, a great...

in the years 1930 and 1963 respectively.

Major components

In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, a sitting president while in office will immediately issue a presidential proclamation

Presidential Proclamation

A Presidential Proclamation is a statement issued by a President on a matter of public policy. They are generally defined as, "The act of causing some state matters to be published or made generally known...

allowing for the flag of the United States

Flag of the United States

The national flag of the United States of America consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars alternating with rows...

to be flown at half-staff

Half-staff

upon the death of principal figures in the federal government, such as a former president, and others, as a mark of respect to their memory. When such a proclamation is issued, all government buildings, offices, public schools and military bases are to fly their flags at half-staff. Under federal law (4 U.S.C. § 7(f)), the flags of states, cities, localities, and pennants of societies, shall never be placed above the flag of the United States. Thus, all other flags also fly at half-staff when the flag of the United States has been ordered to fly at half-staff. Protocol

Etiquette

Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group...

dictates that flags will be flown at half-staff for a period of thirty days for a former president, beginning at the time a presidential proclamation is made effective. At the discretion of the sitting president, he will also issue an executive order which authorizes the closure of all federal departments, agencies, and buildings on a national day of mourning

National day of mourning

A national day of mourning is a day marked by mourning and memorial activities observed among the majority of a country's populace. They are designated by that nation's government...

during a state funeral.

On the day after the death of a president, a former president, or a president-elect unless the day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which case the honor will be rendered the following day, the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille

Reveille

"Reveille" is a bugle call, trumpet call or pipes call most often associated with the military or summer camp; it is chiefly used to wake military personnel at sunrise...

and ending at retreat

Bugle call

A bugle call is a short tune, originating as a military signal announcing scheduled and certain non-scheduled events on a military installation, battlefield, or ship. Historically, bugles, drums, and other loud musical instruments were used for clear communication in the noise and confusion of a...

. On the day of interment for a president, a 21-gun salute

21-gun salute

Gun salutes are the firing of cannons or firearms as a military or naval honor.The custom stems from naval tradition, where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent...

traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns will be fired at one minute intervals. Also on the day of interment, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute with one round for each of the 50 U.S. states and at five-second intervals immediately following a lowering of the flag. 19-gun salutes are reserved for deputy heads of state, chiefs of staff

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...

, cabinet members

United States Cabinet

, and 5-star generals. For each flag rank junior to a five-star officer, two guns are subtracted for each.

The commanding general of the Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region

Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region

Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region is directly responsible for the homeland security and defense of the Washington D.C. area as well as surrounding counties in Virginia and Maryland...

will act as a military escort for the president's family from the time of the official announcement of death until interment occurs. Two examples of this role was by Major General Galen B. Jackman

Galen B. Jackman

Galen Bruce Jackman is a retired United States Army Major General. His last assignment in the Army was serving in the Pentagon as the Army's Chief of Legislative Liaison. The Office, Chief of Legislative Liaison operates directly under the Office of the Secretary of the Army. Its mission is to...

who escorted former First Lady Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....

during the state funeral of Ronald Reagan

Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan

On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States, died after having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. His seven-day state funeral followed, spanning June 5–11...

in 2004 and Lieutenant General Guy C. Swan III

Guy C. Swan III

Lieutenant General Guy Carleton Swan III of the United States Army is the Commanding General United States Army North , based out of Fort Sam Houston, Texas....

who escorted former First Lady Betty Ford

Betty Ford

Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford , better known as Betty Ford, was First Lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977 during the presidency of her husband Gerald Ford...

during the state funeral fo Gerald Ford

Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford

On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at 6:45 p.m. local time . At 8:49 p.m...

in 2006-07.

Most state funerals include a nine-person honor guard acting as pallbearers (also known as body bearers) from all five branches of the Armed Forces, a series of gun salutes

21-gun salute

using artillery pieces

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

from the Presidential Salute Guns Battery of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard", flyovers in missing man formation

Missing man formation

The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed as part of a flyover of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event, typically in memory of a fallen pilot. The missing man formation is often called "the missing man flyby"...

, various musical selections performed by military bands and choirs, a military chaplain for the immediate family, and a flag-draped casket or pall.

Sitting presidents who die while in office may lie in repose

Lying in repose

Lying in repose is a term used to describe when a deceased person, often of some stature, is available for public viewing. "Lying in repose" is different from the formal honor of "lying in state", which is generally held at the principal government building of the country and often accompanied by...

in the East Room of the White House. Former presidents may lie in repose in their home or adopted state, usually at their presidential library

Presidential library

, before traveling to Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

when thereafter, lying in state

Lying in state

in the United States Capitol Rotunda will occur. Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

was an exception to this general rule. Following his death at Walter Reed Army Hospital

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

in 1969, Eisenhower lay in repose in the Bethlehem Chapel at Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

for 28 hours, rather than at his presidential library in Abilene, Kansas.

Funeral procession

A funeral procession occurs during a state funeral on Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches...

or Constitution Avenue

Constitution Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

enroute to the United States Capitol. Every funeral procession is led by a civilian police escort

Law enforcement escort

A police escort, also known as a law enforcement escort, is a feature offered by most law enforcement agencies to assist in transporting VIPs or other important individuals....

, usually by the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia

The Metropolitan Police Department, also known as the DC Police, DCPD, MPD, and MPDC is the municipal police force in Washington, D.C...

. Next, the formal, ceremonial aspects of a procession are organized. A funeral procession uses a four-wheeled caissons to transport the flag-draped casket, which was originally intended to carry a 75mm cannon when it was built in 1918. The caissons is drawn by a draft-mix of six same colored horses with three riders and a section chief mounted on a separate horse from the United States Army Caisson Platoon of the 3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard". In addition, two sets of four body bearers (eight total) will march on foot alongside both sides of the caissons transporting the flag-draped casket. The entire funeral procession is composed of three march units consisting of National Guard, reserve

Reserve components of the United States armed forces

The reserve components of the United States armed forces are military organizations whose members, generally perform a minimum of 39 days of military duty per year and who augment the active duty military when necessary. The reserve components are also referred to collectively as the Guard and...

, active-duty

Active duty

Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...

, and academy personnel that represent the five branches of the United States Armed Forces. Moving at 3 miles per hour, the funeral procession begins in sight of the White House

White House

and travels to the United States Capitol. For former presidents, the casket is unloaded from a hearse and transferred to a caissons at 16th Street

16th Street Northwest (Washington, D.C.)

16th Street Northwest is a prominent north-south thoroughfare in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.Part of Pierre L'Enfant's design for the city, 16th Street begins just north of the White House across Lafayette Park at H Street and continues due north in a straight line passing K Street,...

and Constitution Avenue in view of the South Lawn

South Lawn (White House)

The South Lawn at the White House in Washington, DC, is located directly south of the mansion, and is bordered on the east by East Executive Drive and the Treasury Building, and on the west by West Executive Drive and the Old Executive Office Building, and along its curved southern perimeter by...

. The funeral procession then proceeds down Constitution Avenue. For sitting presidents, the casket is transferred at the North Portico entrance of the White House. Thereafter, the funeral procession proceeds down Pennsylvania Avenue. One rare exception for this funeral procession was during the state funeral of Gerald Ford on December 30, 2006. Respecting Ford's personal wishes of not having a funeral procession using a horse-drawn caissons, his casket was transported in a hearse

Hearse

A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...

to the United States Capitol and en route, stopped at the National World War II Memorial

National World War II Memorial

The U.S. National World War II Memorial is a National Memorial dedicated to Americans who served in the armed forces and as civilians during World War II...

in order to pay tribute to his service in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

during World War II

World War II

.

Each of the three march units are led by a military band

United States military bands

There are many military bands in the United States military. Some are assigned to specific military bases or units. There are also bands associated with each of the service academies....

. Positioned directly in front of the caissons, three color guard

Color guard

In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...

s will march on foot, with the center color guard having responsibility for trooping the national colors

National colours

National colours are frequently part of a country's set of national symbols.Many states and nations have formally adopted a set of colours as their official "national colours" while others have de facto national colours that have become well-known through popular use...

, the flag of the United States

Flag of the United States

. Following immediately behind the caissons, a single color guard will march on foot trooping the presidential standard, the flag of the President of the United States

Flag of the President of the United States

The Flag of the President of the United States consists of the presidential coat of arms on a dark blue background. While having the same design as the presidential seal since 1945, the flag has a separate history, and the designs on the flag and seal have at different times influenced each other...

. Next, a single honor guard will march on foot holding the reins of a caparisoned, riderless horse

Riderless horse

A riderless horse or caparisoned horse is a single horse, without a rider, and with boots reversed in the stirrups, which sometimes accompanies a funeral procession...

with a set of boots reversed in the stirrups, symbolizing a fallen warrior who will never ride again which also betokens the commander's parting look on his troops, who march behind. The equipment mounted on the caparisoned, riderless horse varies according to color of the horse. If black, a saddle blanket

Saddle blanket

The terms saddle blanket, saddle pad and saddle cloth refer to blankets, pads or fabrics inserted under a saddle. These are usually used to absorb sweat, cushion the saddle, and protect the horse's back. Saddle blankets have been used for many centuries with all types of saddles...

, saddle

Saddle

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...

, and bridle

Bridle

A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the Oxford English Dictionary, the "bridle" includes both the headstall that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit....

are mounted on the horse. If any other color, the horse carries a folded hood and cape, along with a blanket, saddle and bridle. For presidential state funerals, the Presidential Seal is emblazoned on the blanket, four inches from the bottom. The inclusion of a riderless horse in a funeral procession dates back to the death of George Washington in 1799 when a caparisoned, riderless horse carried Washington's saddle, holsters, and pistol during the president's funeral. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

was honored by the inclusion of a riderless horse at his state funeral. When Lincoln's funeral train

Funeral train

reached Springfield, Illinois, his horse "Old Bob", who was draped in a black mourning blanket, followed the funeral procession and led mourners to the president's burial plot. The most famous riderless horse was "Black Jack" who was foaled January 19, 1947, and was the last of the Quartermaster-issue horses branded with the Army's "US" brand. He was named after General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing

John J. Pershing

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...

. He participated in the state funerals of John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover, and Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as the state funeral of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur

. The deceased president's family, who are accompanied by federal government officials, will follow behind the funeral procession in a presidential motorcade.

During the funeral procession mid way between the White House and the Capitol as the caisson passes through the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 4th Street, N.W., a flyover consisting of 21 tactical fighter aircraft

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

from the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

, will fly in formation as a single lead aircraft followed by five flights of four aircraft each. The number three aircraft in the final flight executes the maneuver of missing man

Missing man formation

low enough to be clearly seen by on-looking spectators below.

The funeral procession traditionally ends at the center steps on the east front of the Capitol. Exceptions were made for Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

, Ronald Reagan

Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan

, and Gerald Ford

Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford

On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at 6:45 p.m. local time . At 8:49 p.m...

. Johnson's casket was carried up the Senate wing steps because the center steps were blocked with construction scaffolding from the second inauguration of Richard Nixon

Second inauguration of Richard Nixon

The second inauguration of Richard Nixon as the 37th President of the United States was held on January 20, 1973. The inauguration marked the commencement of the second term of Richard Nixon as President and the second term of Spiro Agnew as Vice President. Chief Justice Warren E...

which occurred just days earlier. As a break with tradition, Reagan, as former Governor of California

Governor of California

The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...

, requested that his casket be carried up the steps of the Capitol's West Front facing California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Ford, as a former member of the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

, requested that his casket be carried up the House wing steps. Honor guards, a military band, and a 21 gun salute will all be present during the casket's arrival, at whichever steps of the United States Capitol it is planned to be carried up.

Funeral processions on Pennsylvania Avenue

Pennsylvania Avenue has been used for eight presidential funeral processions, including the four who died by assassination. In 1841, William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison

was escorted up the avenue by twenty-six pallbearers, one for each of the twenty-six U.S. states in the Union. On July 13, 1850, the funeral procession for Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

on Pennsylvania Avenue stretched for over two miles. On April 19, 1865, a cortege numbering an unprecedented 30,000 people escorted the remains of Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

on the avenue from the White House to the Capitol. In 1881, the body of James A. Garfield was escorted on Pennsylvania Avenue by the new president, Chester A. Arthur

Chester A. Arthur

Chester Alan Arthur was the 21st President of the United States . Becoming President after the assassination of President James A. Garfield, Arthur struggled to overcome suspicions of his beginnings as a politician from the New York City Republican machine, succeeding at that task by embracing...

, and ex-President Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses S. Grant

. Returned to Washington D.C. ten days earlier by a funeral train, the remains of William McKinley

William McKinley

were escorted on the rain-dampened avenue from the White House to the Capitol on September 17, 1901. Carriages bearing the new president, Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...

, and ex-President Grover Cleveland

Grover Cleveland

Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...

, preceded the marchers. On August 8, 1923, Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding

was honored by a cavalry escort led by General John J. Pershing

John J. Pershing

John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...

during the president's funeral procession on the avenue to the Capitol. Perhaps one of the most poignant funeral processions in the 20th century occurred on November 24, 1963 for John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....

. Televised worldwide, the slain president's casket rode on the same caisson that had borne Franklin D. Roosevelt's

Franklin D. Roosevelt

body on Constitution Avenue eighteen years earlier, making Roosevelt the only president to die in office whose funeral procession did not take place on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The nation has also honored other people with a funeral procession on Pennsylvania Avenue. They include Vice-President George Clinton

George Clinton (vice president)

George Clinton was an American soldier and politician, considered one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the first Governor of New York, and then the fourth Vice President of the United States , serving under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. He and John C...

in 1812; Presidents John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...

in 1848 and William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...

in 1930 (serving as Chief Justice of the United States

Chief Justice of the United States

upon his death); Generals Jacob Brown

Jacob Brown

Jacob Jennings Brown was an American army officer in the War of 1812. His successes on the northern border during that war made him a hero. In 1821 he was appointed commanding general of the U.S. Army and held that post until his death.-Early life:Born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Jacob Jennings...

in 1828, Alexander Macomb in 1841 and Philip Sheridan

Philip Sheridan

Philip Henry Sheridan was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the American Civil War. His career was noted for his rapid rise to major general and his close association with Lt. Gen. Ulysses S...

in 1888; Admiral George Dewey

George Dewey

George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...

in 1917; and Ambassador Adlai Stevenson in 1965. On March 2, 1844, Secretary of State Abel Upshur and Secretary of the Navy Thomas W. Gilmer, as well as three other victims of the 1844 gun explosion disaster

USS Princeton Disaster of 1844

The USS Princeton Disaster of 1844 occurred on February 28 aboard the newly built USS Princeton when one of the ship's long guns, the "Peacemaker", then the world's longest naval gun, exploded during a display of the ship...

aboard the USS Princeton

USS Princeton (1843)

The first Princeton was the first screw steam warship in the United States Navy. She was launched in 1843, decommissioned in 1847, and broken up in 1849....

, were all honored with a funeral procession led by Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor

on Pennsylvania Avenue. The nation also honored the Unknown Soldier of World War I with a funeral procession on the avenue on November 11, 1921. President Harding, General Pershing, and Chief Justice Taft all walked on foot behind the caisson while ailing ex-President Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson

rode in a horse-drawn carriage, which was followed by the entire Congress.

Capitol rotunda service and lying in state

Shortly after the casket is moved onto the floor of the Capitol rotunda and placed on top of the Lincoln Catafalque

Lincoln catafalque

, members of the United States Congress

United States Congress

gather to pay tribute. A program which includes eulogies, a benediction

Benediction

A benediction is a short invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of worship service.-Judaism:...

, prayers

Prayers

is an anime set in the year 2014 where the young of Japan have rebelled against the government for segregating Shibuya and declared themselves to be independent of Japan...

, and the laying of floral wreaths

Wreath

A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...

will be conducted. Afterward, the president's remains lie in state or an honoree's remains lie in honor for public viewing. Although lying in state

Lying in state

continues for a period of at least 24 hours, it differs from lying in honor. Five honor guards, each representing a branch of the Armed Forces, will face the flag-draped casket while holding their rifles with their right hand and keeping the rifle butt resting on the floor. These honor guards will periodically rotate in order to relieve previous honor guards during their constant vigil over the casket. A mass public viewing is permitted during the lying in state until one hour before the next departure ceremony begins. For the remains of those deceased who are designated to lie in honor, a civilian honor guard derived from the United States Capitol Police

United States Capitol Police

The United States Capitol Police is a federal police force charged with protecting the United States Congress within the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories.-History:...

will form a vigil over the casket.

Religious service

A national funeral service, with a religious theme, is traditionally held at Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

in Washington D.C. or at another church or cathedral, depending on the president's religious faith. Two notable exceptions were for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Kennedy's funeral service was held at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C., most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St...

, as he was a Roman Catholic, while Johnson's was at National City Christian Church

National City Christian Church

, as he worshipped there often while president. Both an arrival ceremony held before as well as a departure ceremony held after the funeral service ends, will be accompanied by honor guards, a military band, and a 21 gun salute at whichever venue in the Washington D.C. area was chosen for the funeral service to be conducted.

Various foreign dignitaries, heads of state, royalty

Royal family

A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...

, and government officials attend. On the matter of seating arrangements, the family of the deceased is immediately followed by federal government officials, and then by foreign heads of state who are arranged alphabetically by the English spelling of the countries in which they represent. Royalty representng heads of state, such as princes and dukes

Dukes

-Albums:-EPs:-Singles:...

, come next, followed by foreign heads of government, such as prime ministers and premiers. During the funeral service, military top brass sit in the north transept and extended family members sit in the south transept, if the funeral service is held at Washington National Cathedral.

Immediately after the national funeral service is completed, the casket travels to its final resting place for interment. Before the mid 20th century, the casket was moved long distances across the nation by a funeral train

Funeral train

procession, where thousands of mourners would line the railroad tracks to pay homage. VIP transport in recent decades between the deceased president's home state and Washington, D.C. has been aboard one of the two Boeing VC-25

Boeing VC-25

The Boeing VC-25 is the designation of a United States Air Force passenger transportation aircraft, a military version of the Boeing 747 airliner. The A-model is the only variant of the VC-25....

jets (tail code

Tail Code

Tail codes are the markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U.S. military aircraft that help to identify the aircraft's unit and/or base assignment and occasionally other information that is not unique. This is not the same as the serial number, bureau number, or aircraft registration which...

s SAM 28000 and SAM 29000) in the presidential fleet which are operated by the 89th Airlift Wing

89th Airlift Wing

The 89th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force is based at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility and has an operational force of over 1,000 personnel...

at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility. As protocol dictates, any deceased president whose remains are flown on an air force jet are not entitled to use the call sign Air Force One
Air Force One
Air Force One is the official air traffic control call sign of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. In common parlance the term refers to those Air Force aircraft whose primary mission is to transport the president; however, any U.S. Air Force aircraft...

since this call sign is exclusively reserved for any aircraft in the air force with a sitting and living president aboard. The departure and arrival ceremonies held at Joint Base Andrews Naval Air Facility as well as at the final destination of interment are met with honor guards, a military band, and a 21 gun salute as the casket is loaded on and unloaded off the aft section of a Boeing VC-25. Because of air transportation in the modern era, it has now become possible for a funeral service and interment to be completed within the same day, as seen during the state funerals of Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon B. Johnson

Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...

in January 1973, Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

in June 2004, and Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

In December 2006-January 2007. However, one notable exception occurred in 1969. Instead of using a Boeing VC-137C

VC-137C SAM 26000

SAM 26000 was the first of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft specifically configured and maintained for use by the President of the United States. It used the callsign Air Force One when the President was on board, SAM 26000 otherwise.A VC-137C serial number 62-6000, SAM 26000 was...

jet (tail code SAM 26000) which at the time typically served the role as Air Force One, a funeral train was used to carry and transport the casket of Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...

. Departing from Union Station in Washington D.C. on March 31, 1969, Eisenhower's funeral train arrived in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas on April 2, 1969. Interment inside a small chapel

Chapel

A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...

located on the grounds of the Eisenhower Presidential Library occurred later that day.

Interment

More reminiscent of a military funeral during interment, presidents are automatically accorded full military honors in recognition of their role as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces

United States armed forces

The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...

. A 3-volley salute

3-volley salute

The 3-volley salute is a ceremonial act performed at military and police funerals as part of the drill and ceremony of the Honor Guard. It consists of a rifle party firing blank cartridges into the air three times. The custom originates from the European dynastic wars, where the fighting ceased so...

is fired over the gravesite by seven honor guards who form a rifle party. This however, does not constitute a 21-gun salute. Taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...

, a bugle call sounded over the grave dating from the era of the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

is performed by one lone bugler from the United States Marine Band

United States Marine Band

, thirty to fifty yards away. Immediately thereafter, the United States Marine Band will perform William Whiting's Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a hymn often associated with the Royal Navy or the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Accordingly, it is often known as the Royal Navy Hymn or the United States Navy Hymn , and sometimes by the last line of its first verse, "For Those in Peril on...

as the “Final Salute” is given.

During interment, fighter aircraft

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

provided by the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

will perform a second and final aerial flyover

Flypast

Flypast is a term used in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, and other countries to denote ceremonial or honorific flights by groups of aircraft and, rarely, by a single aircraft...

in missing man formation

Missing man formation

, as would be previously observed during a ceremonial procession on Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. A final 21 gun salute will also be fired at the gravesite.

Flag folding and presentation

A final component of a state funeral, as is typically offered during military funerals for fallen veterans, is the folding of the flag of the United States

Flag of the United States

and its presentation to the next of kin

Next of kin

Next of kin is a term with many interpretations depending on the jurisdiction being referred to. In some jurisdictions, such as the United States, it is used to describe a person's closest living blood relative or relatives...

. The flag draped over the casket is meticulously folded twelve times by a total of eight honor guards, four on each side of the casket. Next, an honor guard representing one of the five branches of the Armed Forces will present the flag to the next of kin by kneeling in front of the recipient, holding the folded flag waist high with the straight edge facing the recipient, while leaning toward the recipient. Depending on the service of the selected honor guard chosen to present the flag to the next of kin, each of the five military branches uses slightly different wording.

Music

The premier military bands from the five branches of the Armed Forces have an approved musical repertoire

Musical repertoire

Musical repertoire is a collection of music pieces played by an individual musician or ensemble, or composed for a particular instrument or group of instruments, voice or choir.-See also:*Brass Quintet Repertoire*Classical guitar repertoire...

that they perform while marching on Pennsylvania or Constitution Avernue. The use of muffled drums and bagpipes

Bagpipes

Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...

are common as well.

Military musical honors such as the presidential fanfare Hail to the Chief
Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief" is a march primarily associated with the President of the United States. Its playing accompanies the appearance of the President at many public appearances. For major official occasions, the United States Marine Band and other military ensembles generally are the performers, so...

, the bugle call Taps
Taps
"Taps" is a musical piece sounded by the U.S. military nightly to indicate that it is "lights out". The tune is also sometimes known as "Butterfields Lullaby", or by the lyrics of its second verse, "Day is Done". It is also played during flag ceremonies and funerals, generally on bugle or trumpet...

, and Ruffles and flourishes
Ruffles and flourishes
Ruffles and flourishes are preceding fanfare for honors music .Ruffles are played on drums, and flourishes are played on bugles...

, are performed by military bands as a mark of respect.

During the state funeral of John F. Kennedy

State funeral of John F. Kennedy

The state funeral of John F. Kennedy took place in Washington, DC during the three days that followed his assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas....

in 1963, as an example, the United States Marine Band

United States Marine Band

performed Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy
Holy, Holy, Holy is a Christian hymn written by Reginald Heber . Its lyrics speak specifically on the Trinity, having been written for use on Trinity Sunday. John Bacchus Dykes composed the tune Nicaea for this hymn in 1861. It references the Sanctus, which is often called the "Holy holy holy" in...

, Our Fallen Heroes, and The Vanished Army after clearing the Capitol Plaza and joining military units for the 35-minute march on Constitution Avenue to the White House. The United States Navy Band

United States Navy Band

The United States Navy Band, based at the historic Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served the nation as the official musical organization of the United States Navy since 1925...

selected Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 "The Funeral March"
Symphony No. 3 (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E flat major , also known as the Eroica , is a landmark musical work marking the full arrival of the composer's "middle-period," a series of unprecedented large scale works of emotional depth and structural rigor.The symphony is widely regarded as a mature...

, Robert Browne Hall's The Funeral March, and the hymn Onward, Christian Soldiers
Onward, Christian Soldiers
"Onward, Christian Soldiers" is a 19th century English hymn. The words were written by Sabine Baring-Gould in 1865, and the music was composed by Arthur Sullivan in 1871. Sullivan named the tune "St. Gertrude," after the wife of his friend Ernest Clay Ker Seymer, at whose country home he composed...

. The United States Air Force Band chose to perform Frédéric Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 2 "The Funeral March", the hymn Vigor in Arduis (also known as Hymn to the Holy Name), and America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....

. During the funeral procession from the White House to the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C., most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St...

, Kennedy was honored by nine bagpipers from the Black Watch of the Royal Highlanders Regiment

Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)

It all began in 1725 when General Wade, as leader of the King's Army in Scotland, and involved in his great project of building the military roads there, set up six companies of the Highland "Watch". These were formed to stop fighting among the clans; controlling the roads was an important part of...

who traveled from Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

to participate in the state funeral. They performed The Brown Haired Maiden, The Badge of Scotland, The 51st Highland Division, and The Barren Rocks of Aden.

During a national funeral service, such as those held at Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

, the Cathedral Choir or the Armed Forces Choir will sing a selection of religious and patriotic music.
In 1969, Dwight D. Eisenhower's state funeral included a religious service at the Cathedral that incorporated music such as Schmucke dich, o liebe Seele by Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...

and O Welt, ich muss dich lassen by Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms

Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...

. During the state funeral of Ronald Reagan in 2004, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
"Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" is a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous "Ode to Joy" melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's final symphony, Symphony No. 9....

by Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...

and Mansions of the Lord
Mansions of the Lord
"Mansions of the Lord" is a hymn written by Randall Wallace and set to the music of Nick Glennie-Smith.- Performances :"Mansions" was originally written for the 2002 film We Were Soldiers, and was performed by the United States Military Academy Glee Club and the Metro Voices.The hymn also served as...

by Nick Glennie-Smith

Nick Glennie-Smith

Nick Glennie-Smith is a film composer whose most prominent work is a collaboration with Hans Zimmer on the score to the 1996 action film The Rock as well as work on the 1993 drama Point of No Return...

were performed in the Cathedral. The state funeral of Gerald Ford in 2006-07 included music such as O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past
O God, Our Help in Ages Past is a hymn by Isaac Watts and paraphrases Psalm 90. It originally consisted of nine stanzas. In present usage, however, the hymn is usually limited to stanzas one, two, three, five and nine...

by William Croft

William Croft

William Croft was an English composer and organist.Croft was born at the Manor House, Nether Ettington, Warwickshire. He was educated at the Chapel Royal, under the instruction of John Blow, and remained there until 1698. Two years after this departure, he became organist of St. Anne's Church, Soho...

, Eternal Father, Strong to Save
Eternal Father, Strong to Save
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a hymn often associated with the Royal Navy or the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Accordingly, it is often known as the Royal Navy Hymn or the United States Navy Hymn , and sometimes by the last line of its first verse, "For Those in Peril on...

(also known as The Navy Hymn), and Fanfare for the Common Man
Fanfare for the Common Man
Fanfare for the Common Man is a 20th-century American classical music work by American composer Aaron Copland. The piece was written in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under conductor Eugene Goossens. It was inspired in part by a famous speech made earlier in the same year where vice...

by Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and later in his career a conductor of his own and other American music. He was instrumental in forging a distinctly American style of composition, and is often referred to as "the Dean of American Composers"...

.

Solo artists who are internationally acclaimed have also performed during a funeral service, a recent example being Irish tenor Ronan Tynan

Ronan Tynan

Ronan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during important New York Yankees games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games...

who at the request of First Lady Nancy Reagan

Nancy Reagan

Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....

, sang Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,...

at Washington National Cathedral during the Reagan state funeral. During the Ford state funeral, renowned Metropolitan Opera

Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...

singer Denyce Graves

Denyce Graves

Denyce Graves is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer.-Early life:Graves was born on March 7, 1964, to Charles Graves and Dorothy Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and was raised by her mother on Galveston Street, S.W., in the Bellevue section of Washington...

sang The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord's Prayer (song)
"The Lord's Prayer" is a musical setting of the Lord's Prayer written by Albert Hay Malotte in 1935 and recorded by numerous singers including John Charles Thomas, Perry Como, Doris Day, Gracie Fields, Mahalia Jackson, Mario Lanza, Elvis Presley, and Ronnie Milsap...

at the Cathedral during the homily. During John F. Kennedy's Requiem Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

The Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington D.C., most commonly known as St. Matthew's Cathedral, is the seat of the Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. As St...

in 1963, the St. Matthew's Choir sang Subvenite and Sanctus and Benedictus. Tenor soloist Luigi Vena sang Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu
Pie Jesu is a motet derived from the final couplet of the Dies irae and often included in musical settings of the Requiem Mass. The settings of the Requiem Mass by Luigi Cherubini, Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Duruflé, John Rutter, Karl Jenkins and Fredrik Sixten include a Pie Jesu as an independent...

by Ignace Leybach

Ignace Leybach

Ignace Xavier Joseph Leybach was a teacher, pianist and organist, and a composer of salon piano music....

, Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Ave Maria may refer to:*Ave Maria , the "Hail Mary", a traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prayer calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus-Music:...

by Franz Schubert

Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was an Austrian composer.Although he died at an early age, Schubert was tremendously prolific. He wrote some 600 Lieder, nine symphonies , liturgical music, operas, some incidental music, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music...

, and In Manus Tuus by Vincent Novello

Vincent Novello

Vincent Novello , English musician, son of an Italian who married an English wife, was born in London....

. The organist and choirmaster was Eugene Stewart. Other venues, such as National City Christian Church

National City Christian Church

invited American soprano Leontyne Price

Leontyne Price

Mary Violet Leontyne Price is an American soprano. Born and raised in the Deep South, she rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s, and was one of the first African Americans to become a leading artist at the Metropolitan Opera.One critic characterized Price's voice as "vibrant",...

to sing Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" is a gospel song, lyrics by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey , melody by George Nelson Allen .-History:...

during Lyndon B. Johnson's state funeral in 1973.

List of lying in state and honor recipients

Since the death of Henry Clay

Henry Clay

Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...

in 1852, the United States Capitol rotunda

United States Capitol Rotunda

has served as the venue for honoring 31 military officers and politicians, including 11 presidents, with a lying in state. Not all who lie in state nor all for whom flags are flown at half-mast, receive a state funeral. In addition, the rotunda has been used for those who have lain in honor, the first in 1998 for the two victims of the Capitol shooting incident

United States Capitol shooting incident (1998)

The United States Capitol shooting incident of 1998 was an attack on July 24, 1998 which led to the death of two United States Capitol Police officers. Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut were killed when Russell Eugene Weston Jr. entered the Capitol and opened fire...

and again in 2005 for civil rights activist Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....

.

The difference between lying in state and lying in honor is the designated guards of honor that keeps watch over the remains. When lying in state, five guards of honor, each representing the five branches of the Armed Forces, will periodically rotate and relieve the preceding set of guards of honor who watch over the remains. For recipients who have been designated to lie in honor, the United States Capitol Police

United States Capitol Police

will act as civilian guards of honor. No law, written rule, or regulation specifies who may lie in state. Use of the Capitol rotunda is controlled by a concurrent resolution

Concurrent resolution

of the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

and the United States Senate

United States Senate

The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...

. Any person who has rendered distinguished service to the nation may lie in state if the family so wishes and the United States Congress

United States Congress

approves. In the case of unknown soldiers, the President or the appropriate branch of the Armed Forces initiates the action.

People to have lain in state in the United States Capitol rotunda are as follows:
- Henry Clay
  Henry Clay
  Henry Clay, Sr. , was a lawyer, politician and skilled orator who represented Kentucky separately in both the Senate and in the House of Representatives...
  
  (July 1, 1852)
- Abraham Lincoln
  Abraham Lincoln
  Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
  
  (April 19–21, 1865)
- Thaddeus Stevens
  Thaddeus Stevens
  Thaddeus Stevens , of Pennsylvania, was a Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives...
  
  (August 13–14, 1868)
- Charles Sumner
  Charles Sumner
  Charles Sumner was an American politician and senator from Massachusetts. An academic lawyer and a powerful orator, Sumner was the leader of the antislavery forces in Massachusetts and a leader of the Radical Republicans in the United States Senate during the American Civil War and Reconstruction,...
  
  (March 13, 1874)
- Henry Wilson
  Henry Wilson
  Henry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
  
  (November 25–26, 1875)
- James A. Garfield (September 21–23, 1881)
- John Alexander Logan
  John A. Logan
  John Alexander Logan was an American soldier and political leader. He served in the Mexican-American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a state senator, congressman and senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President...
  
  (December 30–31, 1886)
- William McKinley
  William McKinley
  William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
  
  (September 17, 1901)
- Pierre Charles L'Enfant
  Pierre Charles L'Enfant
  Pierre Charles L'Enfant was a French-born American architect and civil engineer best known for designing the layout of the streets of Washington, D.C..-Early life:...
  
  (April 28, 1909)
- George Dewey
  George Dewey
  George Dewey was an admiral of the United States Navy. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War...
  
  (January 20, 1917)
- Unknown Soldier
  Tomb of the Unknowns
  The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
  
  of World War I
  World War I
  World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
  
  (November 9–11, 1921)
- Warren Harding (August 8, 1923)
- William Howard Taft
  William Howard Taft
  William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
  
  (March 11, 1930)
- John Joseph Pershing
  John J. Pershing
  John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
  
  (July 18–19, 1948)
- Robert Alphonso Taft
  Robert Taft
  Robert Alphonso Taft , of the Taft political family of Cincinnati, was a Republican United States Senator and a prominent conservative statesman...
  
  (August 2–3, 1953)
- Unknown Soldiers
  Tomb of the Unknowns
  The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
  
  of World War II
  World War II
  World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
  
  and the Korean War
  Korean War
  The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
  
  (May 28–30, 1958)
- John F. Kennedy
  John F. Kennedy
  John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
  
  (November 24–25, 1963)
- Douglas MacArthur
  Douglas MacArthur
  General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
  
  (April 8–9, 1964)
- Herbert Hoover
  Herbert Hoover
  Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
  
  (October 23–25, 1964)
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
  Dwight D. Eisenhower
  Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
  
  (March 30–31, 1969)
- Everett McKinley Dirksen (September 9–10, 1969)
- J. Edgar Hoover
  J. Edgar Hoover
  John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
  
  (May 3–4, 1972)
- Lyndon B. Johnson
  Lyndon B. Johnson
  Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
  
  (January 24–25, 1973)
- Hubert Humphrey
  Hubert Humphrey
  Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Jr. , served under President Lyndon B. Johnson as the 38th Vice President of the United States. Humphrey twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota, and served as Democratic Majority Whip. He was a founder of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and...
  
  (January 14–15, 1978)
- Unknown Soldier
  Tomb of the Unknowns
  The Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
  
  of the Vietnam War
  Vietnam War
  The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
  
  , later identified as Michael J. Blassie (May 25–28, 1984)
- Claude Denson Pepper (June 1–2, 1989)
- Ronald Reagan
  Ronald Reagan
  Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
  
  (June 9–11, 2004)
- Gerald Ford
  Gerald Ford
  Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
  
  (December 30, 2006 – January 2, 2007)
People to have lain in honor in the United States Capitol rotunda are as follows:
- Jacob Chestnut
  Jacob Chestnut
  Jacob Joseph Chestnut , one of the two United States Capitol Police officers killed in the line of duty on July 24, 1998, was the first African American to lie in honor in the United States Capitol. Chestnut is buried in Arlington National Cemetery...
  
  and John Gibson
  John Gibson (police officer)
  John Michael Gibson was a United States Capitol Police detective assigned to the dignitary protection detail of Congressman Tom DeLay. Gibson was one of two people killed inside the United States Capitol during a 1998 shooting rampage.-Personal life:Gibson was a native of Boston, Massachusetts...
  
  (July 28, 1998)
- Rosa Parks
  Rosa Parks
  Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
  
  (October 30–31, 2005)
People to have lain in state in the Herbert C. Hoover Building
Herbert C. Hoover Building
The Herbert C. Hoover Building is the Washington, D.C. headquarters of the United States Department of Commerce.The building is located at 1401 Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C., on the block bounded by Constitution Avenue NW to the south, Pennsylvania Avenue NW to the north, 15th...

are as follows:
- Ronald H. Brown (April 9–10, 1996)
Supreme Court Justices to have lain in state in the Supreme Court Room at the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...

are as follows:
- Salmon P. Chase
  Salmon P. Chase
  Salmon Portland Chase was an American politician and jurist who served as U.S. Senator from Ohio and the 23rd Governor of Ohio; as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln; and as the sixth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.Chase was one of the most prominent members...
  
  (May 11, 1873)
Supreme Court Justices to have lain in state in the Great Hall at the United States Supreme Court Building
United States Supreme Court building
The Supreme Court Building is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States. It is situated in Washington, D.C. at 1 First Street, NE, on the block immediately east of the United States Capitol. The building is under the jurisdiction of the Architect of the Capitol. On May 4, 1987, the Supreme...

are as follows:
- Earl Warren
  Earl Warren
  Earl Warren was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States.He is known for the sweeping decisions of the Warren Court, which ended school segregation and transformed many areas of American law, especially regarding the rights of the accused, ending public-school-sponsored prayer, and requiring...
  
  (July 11–12, 1974)
- Thurgood Marshall
  Thurgood Marshall
  Thurgood Marshall was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, serving from October 1967 until October 1991...
  
  (January 27, 1993)
- Warren E. Burger
  Warren E. Burger
  Warren Earl Burger was the 15th Chief Justice of the United States from 1969 to 1986. Although Burger had conservative leanings, the U.S...
  
  (June 28, 1995)
- William J. Brennan, Jr.
  William J. Brennan, Jr.
  William Joseph Brennan, Jr. was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990...
  
  (July 28, 1997)
- Harry A. Blackmun (March 8, 1999)
- William H. Rehnquist (September 6–7, 2005)

Funeral arrangements

Since state funerals in the United States are elaborate affairs which are in itself rare occurrences, they are planned years in advance. Each living president, sitting or former, is generally expected to have funeral plans in place on becoming president. However, these details become more important after a president leaves office, and serves to reduce stress for the president's family in an era of worldwide media scrutiny.

The Military District of Washington

Military District of Washington

The United States Army Military District of Washington is one of nineteen major commands of the United States Army. Its headquarters are located at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C...

(MDW) has primary responsibility in overseeing state funerals and in all cases, must strictly follow a 138-page planning document. Detailed funeral arrangements have emerged for two former presidents, Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

and George H.W. Bush. A 411-page document outlining a state funeral for Carter has been filed with the Military District of Washington, including a public viewing of the president's remains at the Carter Center

Carter Center

The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...

in Atlanta, Georgia as well as final interment to occur in the president's hometown of Plains, Georgia. Carter has stated that he will be buried in the front yard of the Carter family's residence, which is now a component of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

Jimmy Carter National Historic Site

The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, located in Plains, Georgia, preserves sites associated with James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. , 39th President of the United States. These include his residence, boyhood farm, school, and the town railroad depot, which served as his campaign headquarters during...

. Bush has filed a 211-page document with the Military District of Washington, which contains a request for an aerial flyover of fighter jets in missing man formation

Missing man formation

by the United States Air Force

United States Air Force

during his state funeral as well as final interment and burial to occur at the George Bush Presidential Library

George Bush Presidential Library

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library of George H. W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States. It was dedicated on Nov. 6, 1997 and opened to the public shortly thereafter...

in College Station, Texas. Bush has also indicated that he does not want the presidential fanfare, Hail to the Chief
Hail to the Chief
"Hail to the Chief" is a march primarily associated with the President of the United States. Its playing accompanies the appearance of the President at many public appearances. For major official occasions, the United States Marine Band and other military ensembles generally are the performers, so...

, to be performed during final interment and burial. In addition, Presidents Carter and Bush have made plans for a national funeral service to be held at Washington National Cathedral

Washington National Cathedral

in Washington D.C. No funeral arrangements for two other former presidents, Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...

and George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

, or for the current sitting president, Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, have been filed with the Military District of Washington.

Security measures

In the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, the Secretary of Homeland Security has declared state funerals to be a National Security Special Event. Thus, these occasions are of great importance to the nation which are in itself, a potential target for terrorists. This designation authorizes the United States Secret Service

United States Secret Service

The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...

to implement all security arrangements and protection of all federal government officials.

External links

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