Fast Facts

The modern House Chamber may only be used for legislative functions, conference meetings, and caucus meetings unless the House agrees to take part in a ceremony. Earlier in House history, however, the Chamber also served as a place to memorialize Representatives who died in office. Since 1820, the House Chamber has hosted 32 funerals for sitting Members.

More >

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 has been used as a place to pay tribute to the Nation’s most distinguished citizens. Made available for public viewing in the Capitol, persons who have “lain in state” traditionally have been American officials, judges, 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.” In 2020, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg lay in state in the National Statuary Hall.

Individuals Who Have Lain in State in National Statuary Hall

Individual Office Lay in State Authority/Resolution
Donald Edwin Young Representative March 29, 2022 NA
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Associate Justice of the Supreme Court September 25, 2020 NA
Elijah Cummings Representative October 24, 2019 NA

Individuals Who Have Lain in State in the Capitol Rotunda

Individual Office Lay in State Authority/Resolution
Harry Reid Capitol Police Officer, Representative, Senator January 12, 2022 S. Con. Res. 25, 117th Congress, 2nd Session
Robert Joseph Dole Representative, Senator December 9–10, 2021 H. Con. Res. 63, 117th Congress, 1st Session
John R. Lewis Representative July 27–28, 2020 H. Con. Res. 105, 116th Congress, 2nd Session
George H.W. Bush Representative, CIA Director, Vice President, President December 3–5, 2018 S. Con. Res. 5, 115th Congress, 2nd Session
John McCain   Representative, Senator August 31, 2018 S. Con. Res. 44, 115th Congress, 2nd Session
Daniel K. Inouye  Representative, Senator December 20, 2012 S. Con. Res. 64, 112th Congress, 2nd Session
Gerald R. Ford  Representative, Vice President, President December 30, 2006–January 2, 2007 NA
Ronald Reagan Governor, President June 9–11, 2004 S. Con. Res. 115, 108th Congress, 2nd Session
Claude Denson Pepper Senator, Representative June 1–2, 1989 H. Con. Res. 139, 101st Congress, 1st Session
Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam Conflict U.S. Soldier May 25–28, 1984 H. Con. Res. 296, 98th Congress, 2nd Session
Hubert H. Humphrey Senator, Vice President January 14–15, 1978 S. Res. 350
Lyndon Baines Johnson Representative, Senator, Vice President, President January 24–25, 1973 H. Con. Res. 90, 93rd Congress, 1st Session
J. Edgar Hoover FBI Director May 3–4, 1972 H. Con. Res. 600, 92nd Congress, 2nd Session
Everett McKinley Dirksen Representative, Senator September 9–10, 1969 S. Res. 254, 91st Congress, 1st Session
Dwight D. Eisenhower General of the U.S. Army, President March 30–31, 1969 NA
Herbert Clark Hoover Cabinet Secretary, President October 23–25, 1964 NA
Douglas MacArthur General of the U.S. Army April 8–9, 1964 S. Con. Res. 74, 88th Congress, 2nd Session
John F. Kennedy Representative, Senator, President November 24–25, 1963 NA
Unknown Soldiers of World War II and the Korean War U.S. Soldiers May 28–30, 1958 H. Con. Res. 242, 85th Congress, 2nd Session
Robert A. Taft Senator August 2–3, 1953 S. Res. 158, 83rd Congress, 1st Session
John Joseph Pershing General of U.S. Armies July 18-19, 1948 NA
William Howard Taft President, Chief Justice of Supreme Court March 11, 1930 NA
Warren G. Harding Senator, President August 8, 1923 NA
Unknown Soldier of World War I U.S. Soldier November 9–11, 1921 NA
George Dewey U.S. Navy Admiral January 20, 1917 H. Con. Res. 68, 64th Congress, 2nd Session
Pierre Charles L'Enfant Planner, Architect April 28, 1909 S. Con. Res. 2, 61st Congress, 1st Session
William McKinley, Jr. Representative, Governor, President September 17, 1901 NA
John A. Logan Representative, Senator December 30–31, 1886 NA
James Abram Garfield Representative, President September 21–23, 1881 NA
Henry Wilson Senator, Vice President November 25–26, 1875 NA
Charles Sumner Senator March 13, 1874 NA
Thaddeus Stevens Representative August 13–14, 1868 NA
Abraham Lincoln Representative, President of the United States April 19–21, 1865 NA
Henry Clay Representative, Speaker of the House, Senator July 1, 1852 NA

Individuals Who Have Lain in Honor in the Capitol Rotunda

Individual Occupation Lay in Honor  Authority/Resolution
Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams World War II Veteran, Medal of Honor Recipient July 14, 2022 S. Con. Res. 42, 117th Congress, 2nd Session
Officer William F. Evans Capitol Police Officer April 13, 2021 H. Con. Res. 27, 117th Congress, 1st Session
Officer Brian D. Sicknick Capitol Police Officer February 2–3, 2021 H. Con. Res. 10, 117th Congress, 1st Session
Reverend Billy Graham Minister February 28-March 1, 2018 H. Con. Res. 107, 115th Congress, 1st Session
Rosa Parks   Civil Rights Leader October 30-31, 2005 S. Con. Res. 61, 109th Congress, 1st Session
Officer Jacob J. Chestnut, Jr.   Capitol Police Officer July 28, 1998 H. Cons. Res. 310, 105th Congress, 2nd Session
Detective John M. Gibson   Capitol Police Officer July 28, 1998 H. 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

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

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)