At the presidential inauguration of John F. Kennedy, that austere man of letters, Robert Frost, had intended to read a poem entitled "Dedication", but was unable to do so because of the glare of the sun, which effectively prevented him from seeing (and reading) the text. Instead Frost read "The Gift Outright" from memory, and yet another legendary moment in presidential inauguration lore occurred. To pay homage to the many compelling stories and documents of past presidential inaugurations, the Library of Congress has created this online exhibit (along with a physical exhibit) that presents materials from 18 of these events. Some of the documents featured here include a banner from the 1868 campaign of Ulysses S. Grant and the famed one-sentence declaration by then President Calvin Coolidge which read simply: "I do not choose to run for President in the nineteen twenty-eight."
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