Jan. 19, 1965 - Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, will begin his first elected term in the office when he is sworn in at noon tomorrow.
The inaugural ceremony on the east plaza of the Capitol will be in strong contrast to the afternoon of Nov. 22, 1963, when Johnson took the oath of office on the Presidential jet in Dallas.
In the 14 months since the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the nation has not had a Vice President.
That will be remedied when Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota takes the Vice-Presidential oath of office, administered by House Speaker John McCormack, a few minutes before Johnson is sworn in by Chief Justice Earl Warren.
Until that moment, McCormack will be, under the terms of the succession law, the first in line for the Presidency.
Johnson will lead the traditional parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, where he will alight from his car and enter a heated, carpeted box, enclosed by thick bulletproof glass (pictured being installed), to watch the rest of the parade.
A chest-high shield of bullet-resistant glass will also protect him earlier at the Capitol during the inauguration ceremony.
The memory of Dallas is still strong. Especially stringent security measures will be in effect tomorrow, although the Secret Service will not divulge details of them.
About 5,000 policemen, National Guard troops, and other military personnel will help provide security.
In Government and other buildings along the parade route, signs appeared today saying: “Secret Service order — all windows must be kept closed on Jan. 20.” It was from a window of the Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas that Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed Kennedy.
President Johnson will break an already elastic tradition by doing away with morning coat and top hat for the inauguration. He will wear an Oxford gray business suit and a fedora.
In 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower retained the cutaway coat but shunned a top hat and wore a Homburg. John F. Kennedy carried a top hat but took it off as soon and as often as possible.
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