Who administered the presidential oath to George Washington at his 1789 inauguration?

Robert R. Livingston administered the presidential oath to George Washington at Washington’s first inauguration on April 30, 1789.

Livingston was the Chancellor of New York, the state’s highest judicial officer at the time. Because the federal judiciary had not yet been organized, no federal chief justice was available to administer the oath. The ceremony occurred on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City.

The oath was taken before a large crowd, and Washington then addressed Congress. Federal Hall served as the meeting place of the first Congress and as the nation’s temporary capital. The ceremony formally began operation of the executive branch created by the Constitution.

Livingston is sometimes confused with John Adams, who became the first vice president and presided over the Senate. He is also distinct from John Jay, who later became the first chief justice of the United States. Livingston’s role was specifically tied to the 1789 inaugural ceremony.