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Frances PerkinsFrances Perkins
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Perkins:

I don't think the President did it. I'll tell you why.

Interviewer:

Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Oh well, the President himself did not, but it was done in the President's presence, in the White House.

Perkins:

Well, that might be. That might have been, that day.

Interviewer:

Maurice Latta did it.

Perkins:

Who? Yes--well, he was authorized to administer oaths in the city of Washington. That was why it turned out later that Schwellenbach's oath of office wasn't legal, because Senator Minton was not authorized to administer oaths in the city of Washington. He had no authority to do it. He was a Senator, but his swearing in wasn't valid.

Interviewer:

When did you discover this?

Perkins:

We discovered it right away. The solicitor--one of the solicitors--came to me and said, “Thank goodness, he's sworn in by Minton. That isn't a legal oath of office.”

I said, “Oh, that's terrible. Fix it up before he signs any papers.”

You see, you can swear in privately if you want to. All you do is call in one of the clerks, you see, the chief clerk or assistant chief clerk who is authorized to administer oaths





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