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Presidential Inaugurations: Copyright and Other Restrictions


The Library of Congress is not aware of any U.S. copyright protection (see Title 17, U.S.C.) or any other restrictions in the material in this American Memory collection, "I Do Solemnly Swear...": Presidential Inaugurations, except as noted below.

Users should keep in mind that the Library of Congress is providing access to these materials strictly for educational and research purposes. The written permission of the copyright owners and/or holders of other rights (such as publicity and/or privacy rights) is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use or other statutory exemptions.

Most of the items in this collection are in the public domain, that is, not subject to copyright protection, such as the works of employees of the federal government of the United States working within the scope of their employment. However, responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. See American Memory, Copyright, and Other Restrictions and Privacy and Publicity Rights for additional information.

Credit lines for items from the Library of Congress should include the Library's name and the name of the division from which the item comes. For example:

Library of Congress: Prints and Photographs Division.

In "I Do Solemnly Swear . . .": Presidential Inaugurations, the Library of Congress has provided links to items in other collections: for example, the Presidential Libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). We have elected to link to items which appear to be in the public domain, however it is advisable to contact the Presidential Libraries and other collections presented herein directly if one has any questions about the use or reproduction of these items and to determine the appropriate credit line.

Permission has been granted to the Library of Congress to reproduce the following photograph in this Web presentation: its further use and reproduction is restricted.

U. S. Senate Office of the Sergeant at Arms
[Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administering the oath of office to Ronald Reagan in the Rotunda of the U. S. Capitol, January 21, 1985].

Permission has been granted by the Sergeant at Arms, U. S. Senate Office of the Sergeant at Arms, for the use of this photograph on this Web site, "I Do Solemnly Swear . . .": Presidential Inaugurations, but one must seek permission from the Sergeant at Arms to obtain a copy of this photograph, reproduce it, or use it for any other purpose. Permission must be obtained from the Office of the Sergeant at Arms, U. S. Senate, Suite S-321, The Capitol, Washington, D. C., 20510-7200.

The following agencies and institutions have permitted the Library of Congress to use, reproduce or link to materials from their collections:

The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School
Permission to link to the searchable text transcriptions of the inaugural addresses of Presidents Washington to Bush, from Inaugural Addresses of the Presidents of the United States from George Washington 1789 to George Bush 1989 (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 1989).

The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School Home page: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm

Statement regarding The Copyright Issue and Use of Avalon Project Documents [from The Avalon Project at the Yale Law School FAQs page]:

If you wish to use Avalon Documents on your website or in your classroom for any educational or non-commercial purpose we have no objection and indeed encourage you to do so. All we ask is that you please e-mail us and let us know. We get a kick out of knowing the documents are being used. Please be aware however that many of the documents are frequently updated, corrected or enhanced thus you might want to check back for updated copies.

Contact: William C. Fray, The Yale Law School, The Avalon Project, 127 Wall St., New Haven CT, 06520. E-mail: william.fray@yale.edu

The White House

Two White House color photographs of President Clinton's 1993 inauguration--his oath of office and President and Mrs. Clinton dancing at the inaugural ball--were given to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division and are reproduced on this Web site courtesy of The White House. Reproductions of The White House photographs in this Web site may be obtained from the Library of Congress Photoduplication Service.

The White House Home page: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Architect of the Capitol
For a gift to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division of over thirty copy photographs of inaugurations, particularly from 1933 onward, and permission to reproduce them on this Web site. Reproductions of the Architect of the Capitol photographs in this Web site may be obtained from the Library of Congress Photoduplication Service.

Architect of the Capitol Home page: http://www.aoc.gov/

Presidential Libraries (National Archives and Records Administration)
Presidential Libraries (NARA) Home page: http://www.archives.gov/presidential_libraries/index.html
Overview of Presidential Libraries page http://www.archives.gov/presidential_libraries/about/about.html
states:

The Presidential Library system is made up of ten Presidential Libraries. This nationwide network of libraries is administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, which is part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), located in College Park, MD. These are not traditional libraries, but rather repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, and other historical materials of U.S. Presidents since Herbert Hoover. Each Presidential Library contains a museum and provides an active series of public programs. Also included in the Presidential Library system is the Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, which administers the Nixon presidential materials under the terms of the Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act. When a president leaves office, NARA establishes a presidential project until a new Presidential Library is built and transferred to the Government.

Until 1978, presidents, scholars, and legal professionals held the view dating back to George Washington that the records created by the president or his staff while in office remained the personal property of the president and were his to take with him when he left office. The first Presidential Libraries were built on this concept. NARA successfully persuaded presidents to donate their historical materials to the Government for housing in a Presidential Library managed by NARA.

The Presidential Records Act of 1978 established that the presidential records that document the constitutional, statutory, and ceremonial duties of the president are the property of the United States Government. After the president leaves office, the archivist of the United States assumes custody of the records. The act allowed for the continuation of Presidential Libraries as the repository for presidential records.

Permission has been granted from these Presidential Libraries to use and reproduce the following materials in "I Do Solemnly Swear . . .": Presidential Inaugurations Web site. If one wishes to use, reproduce, or obtain a photographic copy of any of the following materials, please contact the individual Presidential Libraries directly.

Jimmy Carter Library, Atlanta, Georgia
President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter walk down Pennsylvania Avenue during Inauguration, January 20, 1977.

Jimmy Carter Library Home page: http://carterlibrary.galileo.peachnet.edu/
E-mail: library@carter.nara.gov

Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as the 38th President of the United States by Chief Justice Warren Burger as Mrs. Ford looks on. August 9, 1974.

Gerald R. Ford's Remarks on Taking the Oath of Office as President, August 9, 1974 (text and sound).

Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum Home page: http://www.ford.utexas.edu
E-mail: library@fordlib.nara.gov

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum, Austin, Texas
[Sarah T. Hughes, U. S. District Judge, Northern District of Texas, administering oath of office to Lyndon B. Johnson in the Conference Room aboard Air Force One at Love Field, Dallas, Texas, November 22, 1963].

This photograph is linked from the following page on the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum Web site: http://photolab.lbjlib.utexas.edu/detail.asp?id=519

Lyndon B. Johnson oath of office aboard Air Force One, November 22, 1963 (sound recording).

Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum Home page: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/
E-mail: library@johnson.nara.gov

John Fitzgerald Kennedy Library and Museum, Boston, Massachusetts
Draft of inaugural address, in Kennedy's hand, on yellow foolscap paper, ca. January 20, 1961.

John F. Kennedy delivering his inaugural address, January 20, 1961 (text and sound recording).

The text and sound recording of this inaugural address are linked from the following page on the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum Web site: http://www.jfklibrary.org/treasures-01.html

John F. Kennedy Library and Museum Home page: http://www.jfklibrary.org
E-mail: library@kennedy.nara.gov

Richard M. Nixon Presidential Materials Staff, College Park, Maryland
President and Mrs. Nixon waving to the crowd from the Presidential limousine in the inaugural motorcade, January 20, 1969.

Richard M. Nixon Presidential Materials Staff Home page: http://nixon.archives.gov/index.php
E-mail: nixon@arch2.nara.gov

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California
The Reagans waving during the Inaugural Parade, January 20, 1981.

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Home page: http://www.reagan.utexas.edu
E-mail: library@reagan.nara.gov

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park, New York
Inaugural Address,"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," March 4, 1933 (sound recording).

President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt in open car on way to White House after the inauguration, January 20, 1941.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum Home page: http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/
E-mail: library@roosevelt.nara.gov

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, Independence, Missouri
Truman during the inaugural parade, January 20, 1949. A photograph showing President Truman toasting Vice President Barkley in the review stand during the inaugural parade.

Harry S. Truman Library & Museum Home page: http://www.trumanlibrary.org
E-mail: library@truman.nara.gov

U. S. Senate Historical Office
Permission to use three transcriptions--February 17, 1857, March 4-6, 1857, and March 4, 1861--from the shorthand journals of Montgomery C. Meigs, the originals of which are in the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, The Papers of Montgomery C. Meigs. Typescripts of the transcribed journals are in the U. S. Senate Historical Office and the Office of the Curator, Architect of the Capitol, Washington, D. C. Permission for use of these transcriptions from the U. S. Senate Historical Office was granted by Richard Baker, Senate Historian. These transcriptions will appear in his forthcoming book Capitol Builder: The Shorthand Journals of Montgomery C. Meigs 1853-1859, 1861 (Washington, D.C.: U. S. Government Printing Office, 2000).

U. S. Senate Historical Office Home page: http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Senate_Historical_Office.htm

New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire
Permission to reproduce a photostat of Franklin Pierce's inaugural address, March 4, 1853, printed with Pierce's emendations. Photostat in the Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, The Papers of Franklin Pierce. The original inaugural address is in the New Hampshire Historical Society, Concord, New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Historical Society Home page: http://www.nhhistory.org/ museum.html


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