As Baylor’s chronicler of news both local and national since 1900, the Baylor Lariat has seen 35 transfers of power in the Executive Branch (including today‘s swearing in of Donald J. Trump as the 45th President). While not all of those events warranted large write-ups, we thought it would be timely to point out some of the highlights from the collection and see how Baylor students of years past viewed one of the most remarkable occurrences in world history: the peaceful abdication from executive authority in favor of a democratically elected successor.
First Presidential Change Covered in the Lariat: The Death of William McKinley, September 21, 1901 issue
While technically focused on in memoriam coverage of McKinley’s assassination in Buffalo, NY, it also marked the first time the Lariat printed coverage of a major national political event, coming less than a year after the newspaper’s first issue.
First Appearance of Inauguration Activities as Lead Headline: Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge, March 4, 1925 issue
First Article on Inauguration Activities to Feature a Photo of the New President: Inauguration of Herbert Hoover, March 5, 1929 issue
First Reference to Baylor Faculty Member Present at an Inauguration: First Inaugural of Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 7, 1933 issue
Student Reaction, Memorial on Death of President Roosevelt: April 17, 1945 issue
Open Letter to President Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower by “Jay Torto,” January 21, 1953 issue
First Above-the-fold Coverage of Inauguration by AP Report: Jimmy Carter, January 20, 1977 issue
First Editorial Content, Inauguration Day: President Reagan’s First Inaugural, January 26, 1981 issue
First Coverage of Inauguration with Local Area Connection: George W. Bush and Crawford “Western White House,” January 19, 2001 issue
First On-Scene Reporting of an Inauguration: First Inauguration of President Barack Obama, January 21, 2009 issue
The Inauguration of Donald J. Trump: January 20, 2017 issue
