The Fifty-Seventh Presidential Inauguration on January 21, 2013 presented by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Bibles Used in Inaugural Ceremonies

Bible and Scripture Passages
Date Event President Bible and Scripture Passage
January 20, 2009 Fifty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies Barack H. Obama The Lincoln Bible. The Lincoln Bible was the Bible used by president Abraham Lincoln at his presidential inauguration. The Bible is part of the collection of the Library of Congress. The Bible itself is an Oxford University Press edition published in 1853, has 1280 pages, and measures approximately 15 cm (6 in) in length and 10 cm (4 in) in width, and 4.5 cm in thickness, and is bound in burgundy red velvet with gilt edges.
January 20, 2005 Fifty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies George W. Bush Family Bible, open to Isaiah 40:31
January 20, 2001 Fifty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies George W. Bush Family Bible, closed
January 20, 1997 Fifty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies William J. Clinton King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Isaiah 58:12 (same Bible used at his 1993 Inauguration)
January 20, 1993 Fifty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies William J. Clinton King James Bible, given to him by grandmother, open to Galatians 6:8
January 20, 1989 Fifty-First Inaugural Ceremonies George H.W. Bush Family Bible, open to Matthew 5, and the Bible used by George Washington (belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1), opened at random
January 21, 1985 Fiftieth Inaugural Ceremonies Ronald W. Reagan Family Bible, given to him by his mother, open to II Chronicles 7:14. (Same Bible used at his 1981 Inauguration)
January 20, 1981 Forty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies Ronald W. Reagan Family Bible given to him by his mother, open to II Chronicles 7:14
January 20, 1977 Forty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies James E. Carter Family Bible, open to VI Micah 6:8, and the Bible used by George Washington (belonging to St. John's Mason Lodge No. 1)
August 9, 1974 Swearing-In of Vice President Gerald R. Ford after the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon Gerald R. Ford Bible held by his wife, open to Proverbs 3:5-6
January 20, 1973 Forty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies Richard M. Nixon Two brown leather family Bibles, open to Isaiah 2:2-4 (same Bibles used at his 1969 Inauguration)
January 20, 1969 Forty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies Richard M. Nixon Two brown leather family Bibles, both open to Isaiah 2:4
January 20, 1965 Forty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies Lyndon Baines Johnson Johnson took the oath on the same family Bible he used at his Vice Presidential Inauguration in 1961. It was closed.
November 22, 1963 Swearing-In of Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy Lyndon Baines Johnson Unknown
January 20, 1961 Forty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies John F. Kennedy Fitzgerald family Bible (his mother's family), closed
January 20, 1957 Forty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower used his personal "West Point Bible," open to Psalm 33:12
January 20, 1953 Forty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies Dwight D. Eisenhower Eisenhower used two Bibles: the Bible used by George Washington in 1789 (belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1), opened to II Chronicles 7:14; and his own personal "West Point Bible," opened to Psalm 33:12.
January 20, 1949 Forty-First Inaugural Ceremonies Harry S. Truman Truman used two Bibles: the first was the same Bible he used in 1945 when he was sworn in upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt, open to Matthew 5 (Beatitudes). The second was a Gutenberg facsimilie given to him by the Independence, Missouri Chamber of Commerce, opened to Exodus 20 (the Ten Commandments).
April 12, 1945 Swearing-In of Vice President Harry S. Truman after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt Harry S. Truman According to Truman, "There was much scurrying around to find this book on which to take the oath." It was closed while he repeated the oath, and he kissed the book when he finished.
January 20, 1945 Fortieth Inaugural Ceremonies Franklin D. Roosevelt Same family Bible used for his 1933, 1937, and 1941 inaugurations, open to I Corinthians 13
January 20, 1941 Thirty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies Franklin D. Roosevelt Same family Bible used for his 1933 and 1937 Inaugurations, open to I Corinthians 13
January 20, 1937 Thirty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies Franklin D. Roosevelt Same family Bible used for his 1933 Inauguration, open to I Corinthians 13
March 4, 1933 Thirty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies Franklin D. Roosevelt Roosevelt family Bible, the same one used when Roosevelt was sworn in as Governor of New York in 1928 and 1930, open to I Corinthians 13
March 4, 1929 Thirty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies Herbert C. Hoover Family Bible, open to Proverbs 29:18
March 4, 1925 Thirty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies Calvin Coolidge Family Bible given to him by his mother, open to John 1
August 3, 1923 Swearing-In of Vice President Calvin Coolidge after the death of President Warren G. Harding Calvin Coolidge Family Bible
March 4, 1921 Thirty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies Warren G. Harding Same Bible used by George Washington, belonging to St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1, open to Micah 6:8
March 5, 1917 Thirty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies Woodrow Wilson Same Bible used when he was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey and as President in 1913, open to Psalm 46.
March 4, 1913 Thirty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies Woodrow Wilson Same Bible used when he was sworn in as Governor of New Jersey, open to Psalm 119:43-46.
March 4, 1909 Thirty-First Inaugural Ceremonies William H. Taft Century-old Bible belonging to the Supreme Court, open to I Kings 3:9-11
March 4, 1905 Thirtieth Inaugural Ceremonies Theodore Roosevelt Same Bible used when Roosevelt was sworn in as Governor of New York in 1898, open to James 1:22-23
September 14, 1901 Swearing-In of Vice President Theodore Roosevelt after the assassination of President William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt No Bible used
March 4, 1901 Twenty-Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies William McKinley Bible provided to him by the Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Proverbs 16:20-21
March 4, 1897 Twenty-Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies William McKinley Bible presented to him by the Bishops of the African Methodist Episcopal Church; II Chronicles 1:10 is marked
March 4, 1893 Twenty-Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies Grover Cleveland Bible given to him by his mother in 1852 when he was 15 years old, open to Psalm 91:12-16. (Same Bible he used at his 1885 Inauguration.)
March 4, 1889 Twenty-Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies Benjamin Harrison Bible provided by Clerk of the Supreme Court James H. McKenney, opened to Psalm 121:1-6.
March 4, 1885 Twenty-Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies Grover Cleveland Bible given to him at age 15 by his mother. This Bible was opened by Chief Justice Waite and by chance it fell to Psalm 112:4-10.
September 20, 1881 Swearing-In of Vice President Chester Arthur after the assassination of President James Garfield Chester A. Arthur Bible unknown for September 20 oath-taking; Bible provided by Clerk of the Supreme Court James H. McKenney for September 22 oath, open to Psalm 31:1-2.
March 4, 1881 Twenty-Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies James A. Garfield Bible provided by James H. McKenney, Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Proverbs 21:1.
March 5, 1877 Twenty-Third Inaugural Ceremonies Rutherford B. Hayes Bible provided by D. W. Middleton, Clerk of the Supreme Court, open to Psalm 118:11-13.
March 4, 1873 Twenty-Second Inaugural Ceremonies Ulysses S. Grant Bible provided by D. W. Middleton, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened to Isaiah 11:1-3.
March 4, 1869 Twenty-First Inaugural Ceremonies Ulysses S. Grant Unknown
April 15, 1865 Swearing-In of Vice President Andrew Johnson after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln Andrew Johnson Origin of the Bible unknown, but said to have been opened to Proverbs 20 and 21.
March 4, 1865 Twentieth Inaugural Ceremonies Abraham Lincoln The origin of Lincoln's second Inaugural Bible is unknown, but it was open to Matthew 7:1; 18:7; and Revelations 16:7.
March 4, 1861 Nineteenth Inaugural Ceremonies Abraham Lincoln Bible purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, opened at random. It is almost identical to James Buchanan's 1857 Bible.
March 4, 1857 Eighteenth Inaugural Ceremonies James Buchanan Unknown
March 4, 1853 Seventeenth Inaugural Ceremonies Franklin Pierce Unknown
July 10, 1850 Swearing-In of Vice President Millard Fillmore after the death of President Zachary Taylor Millard Fillmore Unknown
March 5, 1849 Sixteenth Inaugural Ceremonies Zachary Taylor Unknown
March 4, 1845 Fifteenth Inaugural Ceremonies James K. Polk The origin of Polk's Bible is unknown, although a letter in the front of the volume indicates that after the Inauguration, it was presented to Mrs. Polk by the Marshal of the District of Columbia. There is no indication that it was open during the oath-taking, and has no marked passages.
April 6, 1841 Swearing-In of Vice President John Tyler after the death of President William H. Harrison John Tyler Unknown
March 4, 1841 Fourteenth Inaugural Ceremonies William H. Harrison Unknown
March 4, 1837 Thirteenth Inaugural Ceremonies Martin Van Buren Unknown
March 4, 1833 Twelfth Inaugural Ceremonies Andrew Jackson Unknown
March 4, 1829 Eleventh Inaugural Ceremonies Andrew Jackson Unknown
March 4, 1825 Tenth Inaugural Ceremonies John Quincy Adams According to his own version of his Inauguration, Adams took the oath upon a volume of law.
March 4, 1821 Ninth Inaugural Ceremonies James Monroe Unknown
March 4, 1817 Eighth Inaugural Ceremonies James Monroe Unknown
March 4, 1813 Seventh Inaugural Ceremonies James Madison Unknown
March 4, 1809 Sixth Inaugural Ceremonies James Madison Unknown
March 4, 1805 Fifth Inaugural Ceremonies Thomas Jefferson Unknown
March 4, 1801 Fourth Inaugural Ceremonies Thomas Jefferson Unknown
March 4, 1797 Third Inaugural Ceremonies John Adams Unknown
March 4, 1793 Second Inaugural Ceremonies George Washington Unknown
April 30, 1789 First Inaugural Ceremonies George Washington The Holy Bible from St. John's Masonic Lodge, No. 1, opened at random due to haste to Genisis 49:13