The second inauguration of Ronald Reagan as president of the United States was held in a televised ceremony on January 20, 1985, at the White House, and was repeated the following day, January 21, 1985, at the Capitol's rotunda. This was the 50th presidential inauguration and marked the commencement of the second and final four-year term of both Ronald Reagan as president and of George H. W. Bush as vice president. At 73 years, 349 days of age on Inauguration Day, Reagan was the oldest U.S. president to be inaugurated. Thirty-six years later, in 2021, this record was surpassed by Joe Biden at 78 years, 80 days, and four years later by Donald Trump at 78 years.

Inauguration day

As the weather outside was harsh, with daytime temperatures of 7 F and wind chills of -25 F, the event organizers were forced to move the public inaugural ceremony, which had been planned for the open air, inside to the Capitol Rotunda. Jessye Norman sang Simple Gifts from Aaron Copland's Old American Songs. As had officially happened the day before, Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administered the presidential oath of office to Reagan, and former Associate Justice Potter Stewart administered the vice-presidential oath to Bush. After Reagan's inaugural address and the pronunciation of the benediction by Peter J. Gomes, the U.S. Marine Band played The Star Spangled Banner. The weather necessitated that the parade be canceled. A replacement event was held in the Capital Centre; 96 people attended the first ceremony and thousands attended the second. Coverage of the inauguration was provided throughout the United States by NBC, CBS, ABC, and CNN.

Inauguration committee

Former UPI correspondent John Chambers, son of Whittaker Chambers, served as executive director of the Joint Congressional Committee on the Presidential Inauguration, for Reagan's second inauguration and again for the first inauguration of Bill Clinton in 1993.

Aftermath

On May 27, 1985 (Memorial Day), twenty of the more than fifty high school marching bands that had been scheduled to perform in the cancelled inaugural parade performed in the President's Inaugural Bands Parade held at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center theme park. The performance was preceded by a speech delivered by President Reagan.