Presidential Inauguration Speeches

My favorite Presidential Inauguration story is a cautionary tale about long speeches and dressing for the weather.

President William H. Harrison made the longest inaugural speech in 1841 - and served the shortest term of office.

"Old Tippecanoe" gave a speech that ran an hour-and-forty-five-minutes - during a snowstorm - without wearing a topcoat, scarf or gloves.

The 68-year-old President stood outside for the entire ceremony. He greeted crowds of well-wishers at the White House later that day. He went to several celebrations that evening.

One month later he died of pneumonia. I go with the inauguration as the cause, though there is some doubt.

Lessons:

1.  Keep the speech short.  The shortest one was George Washington's Second Inaugural (130 words), followed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Fourth (550 words) and Abraham Lincoln's Second (700 words). See a pattern? You learn after the first term to revise and cut that speech down.
2. Dress for the weather. Mom was right. You can catch a bad cold if you stand outside in wet clothing.

What will we learn from the Trump inauguration today? We'll see...