Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite administering the oath of office to President Hayes

In 1877, Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite administered the oath of office to Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, in a significant and somewhat unusual inauguration. The ceremony took place on March 4, 1877, but the event was marred by political controversy stemming from the highly contested 1876 election.

The election of 1876 between Hayes, the Republican candidate, and Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate, was one of the most disputed in American history. Tilden won the popular vote and seemed to have secured the electoral vote, but allegations of voter fraud and disputed election results in several states led to a prolonged recount and investigation. The situation was so fraught that it required the intervention of a special Electoral Commission, which ultimately awarded the contested electoral votes to Hayes, giving him a narrow victory.

As a result, Hayes was not immediately accepted as the legitimate president by many Democrats, and the political tension surrounding the election led to a highly private and subdued inauguration. To avoid potential protests or violence, the ceremony was held at the White House rather than on the steps of the Capitol. The Chief Justice, Morrison R. Waite, swore Hayes into office in a small, intimate setting in the presence of just a few family members and close associates. This private ceremony contrasted sharply with the usual pomp and circumstance surrounding presidential inaugurations.

Hayes, despite the contentious start to his presidency, would go on to serve a single term in office. His administration is best known for overseeing the end of Reconstruction, following the Civil War, with the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. He also focused on civil service reform and efforts to restore integrity to the federal government after the scandals of the previous administration.

The inauguration of Hayes in 1877 remains a unique moment in American history, marking both the resolution of a bitter electoral dispute and the beginning of a presidency that aimed to heal the nation’s divisions.