Acting Vice President, Part I

But there may be a more correct "correct" answer to that trick question. The First Congress under the new Constitution convened on April 6, 1789 to count the electoral vote in the first presidential election. Since there was not yet a Vice President, they elected a President Pro Tempore as directed by the Constitution. As there was no President of Vice President yet, it may be argued that this person, John Langdon of New Hampshire, was actually Acting President until John Adams was sworn into office as Vice President on April 21, 1789.

By the same argument, John Adams was Acting President until George Washington was sworn in as President on April 30, 1789. From April 21 to April 30, 1789 (when George Washington was inaugurated), John Langdon as President Pro Tempore of the Senate was the second in line to the Presidency and presiding officer of the Senate, so it might be said that he was the first Acting President (the questionable eleventh person mentioned earlier). This is not as strong a claim, since John Adams took over his duties as Senate President immediately upon his inauguration, even though there was no President at the time. So, John Langdon never executed both constitutional duties of the Vice President at the same time.

In the next article, we will look at the other ten instances of the President Pro Tem of the Senate becoming the Acting Vice President. In one case, the Acting Vice President also served for one day as the Acting President. More on that one next time.

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