Firsthand account of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inauguration

Allen Laws Oliver Sr. and his wife, Olivia, traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend the second inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Jan. 20, 1937. Allen wrote of their experience three days later to their sons, Allen L. Oliver Jr. and John L. "Jack" Oliver.

Oliver was a newly commissioned colonel on Gov. Lloyd C. Stark's staff on Jan. 10. He and Olivia attended Stark's inauguration and then made their way, by special train, to our nation's capital. Once they arrived in Washington, they went to the Mayflower Hotel, where the attended the Electoral College dinner. There the couple interacted with Postmaster General James A. Farley, Dr. Manley O. Hutson, Julien N. Friant, Dr. Herman Baruch and many senators and representatives. He mentions that it was "very lovely" for the Friant's to invite them to the dinner because Gov. Stark wasn't in attendance.

Heavy rain fell on inauguration day. Gov. Stark had expected all of his colonels to walk with him in the parade, but due to the rain, they were limited to 10. After drawing lots, Oliver was one of the lucky 10 to ride in the parade. Oliver watched the inauguration from the comfort of a chair in the Committee Room of the Ways and Means Committee. One interesting insight Allen told his sons from the parade was the "patience and good humor of the tens of thousands who lined the route of the parade was marvelous. Most of them were standing in water, their clothes soaked with rain, yet smiling and happy ..." as the vehicle drove by.

Later, the car they were riding in was supposed to go back to the reviewing stand, but it occurred to the occupants that they would not be missed. Instead they had their driver go to the Raleigh Hotel, where Olivia and her relatives were watching the inauguration. He writes that he had to fend off souvenir hunters who were clamoring to take buttons and tassels from his colonel uniform.

After this little diversion, the Olivers' attended the Missouri Society party and dance at the Willard Hotel. They were the guests of Cong, Orville Zimmerman and his wife. After spending time with Olivia's relatives the following day, the couple headed back to Cape Girardeau by train.

In one of the final paragraphs of his letter, he told his sons that he had received many "courtesies and attention," more in the last two weeks than he had in his entire life. He was humble in stating that these were not because of any his own doing, but rather because of the "standing which our family has had and acquired in the five generations which have lived here in this country." He writes further that "we, as a family, have a heritage which cannot be purchased and which comes only as the result of lives of high character, and with character, energy, consideration for others, a determination to succeed, and a willingness to serve."