Inauguration of William Howard Taft

Presidential inauguration of
William Howard Taft

Date	March 4, 1909; 115 years ago (1909-03-04)
Location	United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Organized by	Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
Participants	William Howard Taft 27th president of the United States — Assuming office Melville Fuller Chief Justice of the United States — Administering oath James S. Sherman 27th vice president of the United States — Assuming office Charles W. Fairbanks 26th vice president of the United States — Administering oath
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This article is part of a series about William Howard Taft
Early life Family Bibliography Legacy 27th President of the United States Inauguration Presidency (timeline) Executive actions Foreign policy Taftian theory Domestic policy Cabinet Judiciary Dollar diplomacy Income Tax amendment Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act Wireless Ship Act of 1910 Mann–Elkins Act Defense Secrets Act Radio Act of 1912 Commission on Economy and Efficiency U.S. occupation of Nicaragua Presidential campaigns 1908 convention election 1912 convention election 10th Chief Justice of the United States Appointment Supreme Court cases Post-presidency National Historic Site Death
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The inauguration of William Howard Taft as the 27th president of the United States was held on Thursday, March 4, 1909, at the Senate chamber inside the United States Capitol, Washington, D.C., instead of the regular East Portico due to a blizzard. This was the 31st inauguration and marked the commencement of William Howard Taft's only term as president and James S. Sherman's only term as vice president.

As Sherman died 3 years, 240 days into this term, the office remained vacant for the balance: he was the last vice president to leave office intra-term prior to the ratification of the Twenty-fifth Amendment in 1967 (excluding Calvin Coolidge, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson, who ascended to the presidency after the deaths of their predecessors), which constitutionally allows for filling a vacancy in the office of vice president, and as of 2024, is also the most recent vice president to die in office.