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Historical Highlight

August 13, 1868

The funeral of Representative Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania

Individuals Who Have Lain in State or in Honor

Capitol Police Officers/tiles/non-collection/c/capitol_police.xml Image courtesy of U.S. House of Representatives Photography Office A Capitol Police Honor Guard salutes the coffins of Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, Jr. and Detective John M. Gibson.
Since Henry Clay in 1852, the U.S. Capitol Rotunda has been used as a place to pay tribute to the Nation’s most distinguished citizens. Made available for public viewing in the Rotunda, persons who have “lain in state” traditionally have been American statesmen and military leaders, including 12 U.S. Presidents. In 1998, to recognize two Capitol Police officers who died in the line of duty, Congress granted use of the Rotunda for their caskets to “lie in honor.” 

Individuals Who Have Lain in State in the Capitol Rotunda

IndividualOfficeLay in StateAuthority/Resolution
George H.W. BushRepresentative, CIA Director, Vice President, PresidentDecember 3–5, 2018 S. Con. Res. 5, 115th Congress, 2nd Session
John McCain  Representative, SenatorAugust 31, 2018S. Con. Res. 44, 115th Congress, 2nd Session
Daniel K. Inouye Representative, SenatorDecember 20, 2012S. Con. Res. 64, 112th Congress, 2nd Session
Gerald R. Ford  Representative, Vice President, PresidentDecember 30, 2006–January 2, 2007NA
Ronald Reagan Governor, President June 9–11, 2004S. Con. Res. 115, 108th Congress, 2nd Session
Claude Denson PepperSenator, Representative June 1–2, 1989H. Con. Res. 139, 101st Congress, 1st Session
Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam ConflictU.S. Soldier May 25–28, 1984H. Con. Res. 296, 98th Congress, 2nd Session
Hubert H. HumphreySenator, Vice President January 14–15, 1978S. Res. 350
Lyndon Baines JohnsonRepresentative, Senator, Vice President, PresidentJanuary 24–25, 1973H. Con. Res. 90, 93rd Congress, 1st Session
J. Edgar HooverFBI Director May 3–4, 1972H. Con. Res. 600, 92nd Congress, 2nd Session
Everett McKinley DirksenRepresentative, SenatorSeptember 9–10, 1969S. Res. 254, 91st Congress, 1st Session
Dwight D. EisenhowerGeneral of the U.S. Army, President March 30–31, 1969NA
Herbert Clark HooverCabinet Secretary, PresidentOctober 23–25, 1964NA
Douglas MacArthurGeneral of the U.S. ArmyApril 8–9, 1964S. Con. Res. 74, 88th Congress, 2nd Session
John F. KennedyRepresentative, Senator, PresidentNovember 24–25, 1963NA
Unknown Soldiers of World War II and the Korean WarU.S. SoldiersMay 28–30, 1958H. Con. Res. 242, 85th Congress, 2nd Session
Robert A. TaftSenatorAugust 2–3, 1953S. Res. 158, 83rd Congress, 1st Session
John Joseph PershingGeneral of U.S. ArmiesJuly 18-19, 1948NA
William Howard TaftPresident, Chief Justice of Supreme CourtMarch 11, 1930NA
Warren G. HardingSenator, PresidentAugust 8, 1923NA
Unknown Soldier of World War IU.S. SoldierNovember 9–11, 1921NA
George DeweyU.S. Navy AdmiralJanuary 20, 1917H. Con. Res. 68, 64th Congress, 2nd Session
Pierre Charles L'EnfantPlanner, ArchitectApril 28, 1909S. Con. Res. 2, 61st Congress, 1st Session
William McKinley, Jr.Representative, Governor, PresidentSeptember 17, 1901NA
John A. LoganRepresentative, SenatorDecember 30–31, 1886NA
James Abram GarfieldRepresentative, PresidentSeptember 21–23, 1881NA
Henry WilsonSenator, Vice PresidentNovember 25–26, 1875NA
Charles SumnerSenatorMarch 13, 1874NA
Thaddeus StevensRepresentativeAugust 13–14, 1868NA
Abraham LincolnRepresentative, President of the United StatesApril 19–21, 1865NA
Henry ClayRepresentative, Speaker of the House, SenatorJuly 1, 1852NA

Individuals Who Have Lain in Honor in the Capitol Rotunda

IndividualOccupation Lay in Honor Authority/Resolution
Reverend Billy GrahamMinisterFebruary 28-March 1, 2018H. Con. Res. 107, 115th Congress, 1st Session
Rosa Parks  Civil Rights LeaderOctober 30-31, 2005S. Con. Res. 61, 109th Congress, 1st Session
Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, Jr.  Capitol Police OfficerJuly 28, 1998H. Cons. Res. 310, 105th Congress, 2nd Session
Detective John M. Gibson  Capitol Police Officer July 28, 1998H. Con. Res. 310, 105th Congress, 2nd Session

Oral History Recollections from the Lying-in-State Ceremony for President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963)

Part 1

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George W. Andrews III, Page, U.S. House of Representatives, and Son of Representatives George and Elizabeth Andrews of Alabama Interview recorded May 21, 2010 Transcript (PDF)

Part 2

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George W. Andrews III, Page, U.S. House of Representatives, and Son of Representatives George and Elizabeth Andrews of Alabama Interview recorded May 21, 2010 Transcript (PDF)

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