History Happy Hour: Franklin Roosevelt’s Backyard Inauguration

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s last Inauguration on January 20, 1945, was quick, quiet, and unprecedented. As the only person in American history elected to serve four consecutive terms, Roosevelt could have celebrated his victory with a traditional pomp-filled ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Instead, he chose to hold his last Inaugural on the South Portico of the White House. As the invited guests shivered in the cold and stamped their feet in the snow, Roosevelt took the Oath of Office and delivered one of the shortest Inaugural addresses in American history.

Come and join us on Thursday, May 23, at 6:00 pm ET to hear Roosevelt scholar and longtime White House Quarterly contributor Mary Jo Binker for a look behind the scenes at this unusual moment in White House history, alongside the Chief Publishing Officer of the White House Historical Association, Marcia Anderson, who will moderate the episode!

As of February 1st, we are partnering with Diageo North America, who will bring new and innovative cocktails to life during our mixology sessions.