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Learn about the history of presidential inaugurations, Washington, D.C., and the White House. 

This panel discussion between Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky, Dr. Matt Costello, and Susan Swain will focus on the history of Inauguration Day. 

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Cost

Free with admission ticket

The Inaugurations of George Washington, Andrew Jackson & More

Attendees will hear about presidential inaugurations such as:

  • the first inauguration for George Washington
  • Andrew Jackson’s inauguration 
  • the first rambunctious public receptions in the White House
  • the shadow of the Civil War that hung over Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration
  • Teddy Roosevelt’s sudden inauguration after the assassination of William McKinley

Panelists will also explore the role of first ladies during inauguration, the transition, and the evolution of White House with each subsequent administration.

Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Chervinsky HeadshotDr. Lindsay M. Chervinsky is the Executive Director of the George Washington Presidential Library. 

She is the author of Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic and The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. 

She is the co-editor of Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture.

Matthew Costello

Castello HeadshotDr. Matthew Costello is the Chief Education Officer, The Marlyne Sexton Chair in White House History, Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at the White House Historical Association. 

He is the author of The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President, which was a finalist for the George Washington Book Prize. 

He is the co-editor of Mourning the Presidents: Loss and Legacy in American Culture.

Susan Swain

Swain HeadshotSusan Swain is the former CEO and President of C-SPAN. 

She was also an on-camera host for C-SPAN for more than thirty years, interviewing public officials, historians, and journalists for the public affairs network. 

Swain authored nine books, including First Ladies, The Presidents, and Abraham Lincoln