Lying in State or Honor in the U.S. Capitol by Non-Members of Congress

From January 7 to January 9, 2025, President James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr. lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. On December 30, 2024, House and Senate leaders issued a joint letter to announce that President Carter would lie in state.

President Carter was the 43^rd individual to lie in state or honor in the Capitol Rotunda or National Statuary Hall. Prior to President Carter, the most recent individual to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda was Senator Harry Reid, on January 12, 2022, and the most recent individual to lie in state in National Statuary Hall was Representative Donald Young, on March 29, 2022. The most recent individual to lie in honor was Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr., on April 29, 2024.

Of the 43 individuals to have lain in state or honor to date (excluding four unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam who lay in state), 18 did not serve in Congress (see Table 1). Figure 1 shows President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft lying in state on March 11, 1930.

Figure 1. Lying in State of President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft March 11, 1930

Source: B.C. Mossman and M.W. Stark, "Chapter 2: Former President William Howard Taft State Funeral, 8-11 March 1930," The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funerals 1921-1969 (Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1991).

Since President Lincoln's death in 1865, the caskets of most individuals who have lain in state or honor have rested on the Lincoln catafalque. The Lincoln catafalque is a platform constructed in 1865 "to support the casket of Abraham Lincoln while the president's body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda."

Authorization Process

When an individual lies in state or honor in the Rotunda—a space jointly controlled by the House of Representatives and the Senate—a concurrent resolution is often used to authorize the event. For example, for Representative John Lewis in July 2020, two concurrent resolutions (H.Con.Res. 106—use of the Lincoln Catafalque; and H.Con.Res. 105—use of the Rotunda) were agreed to. For President Carter, the House and Senate agreed to a single resolution (S.Con.Res. 3) to authorize both President Carter lying in state and the use of the Lincoln Catafalque. In at least one instance, for President Gerald Ford, Congress was out of session and a concurrent resolution was not adopted.

When an individual lies in state or honor in National Statuary Hall, a space controlled by the House of Representatives, the Speaker often announces the event through a press release. For example, in September 2020, Justice Ginsburg lay in state in National Statuary Hall and Speaker Pelosi issued a press release to announce the occasion.

Non-Members of Congress Lying in State or Honor

President Carter was the 18^th individual to lie in state or honor who was not also a Member of Congress. Additionally, four unknown soldiers (World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam) have lain in state. Table 1 lists the individuals who have lain in state or honor who did not serve as Members of Congress, the date of their death, the date of lying in state or honor, and the positions they held in government, if any.