Why President Richard Nixon’s Second Inauguration Was Kicked Off By A Bird Massacre

Summary

Richard Nixon's second inauguration in 1973 was overshadowed by a mass bird death caused by his order to use a chemical deterrent to prevent birds from defecating on the parade route.

Abstract

During Richard Nixon's second inauguration in 1973, his concern over being embarrassed by bird droppings led to an unconventional decision to use a chemical repellent called Roost No More. The substance, costing taxpayers $13,000, was intended to deter birds along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route. However, the sticky polybutene-based spray caused a tragic outcome, with many birds becoming incapacitated and dying, their bodies littering the streets. This attempt to avoid a messy situation resulted in a much larger and macabre spectacle, though it is often overshadowed by the other controversies of Nixon's presidency.

Opinions

Nixon's decision to use Roost No More was driven by a fear of public embarrassment and a desire to maintain his dignity during the inauguration.
The use of the chemical deterrent was seen as an extreme measure, especially considering its significant cost to taxpayers.
The inventor of Roost No More, Joseph Fink, was confident in the product's safety and effectiveness, even demonstrating it by consuming some himself.
The outcome of the bird deterrent was unintended and tragic, leading to a spectacle that marred the inaugural celebrations.
Despite the severity of the situation, the incident is relatively minor in the context of Nixon's broader legacy of blunders and controversies, such as the Watergate Scandal and the Vietnam War.

A fear of being embarassed on his big day led the 37th American President to make a decision that created a whole new debacle instead

Few sitting American Presidents have been as unpopular or polarizing as Richard M. Nixon. As the 37th President, he was in office from 1969 until his stunning resignation in 1974 in light of the Watergate Scandal. With the Vietnam War raging during his tenure, he was regularly involved in unpopular decisions and controversy. One of the most unusual came during his second inauguration in 1973 when what should have been a major celebration for him was later marred by the news that the preparation for the festivities had led to the death of masses of birds, all because of his fussiness.

When Nixon was re-elected for a second term, he was prepared for another four years in the Oval Office. Despite the challenges of the war, he was looking forward to celebrating his hard fought re-election campaign. He faced a new, albeit bizarre, concern when planning for being sworn in: the multitude of birds lining Pennsylvania Avenue. Specifically, he was fearful of being targeted by bird droppings, thus making a mess and opening the possibility of him being made the butt of a comedic photo op. This led to extreme and unconventional measures being implemented to avoid such a debacle.

He reportedly ordered the Inauguration Committee to spray Roost No More, a chemical bird deterrent, along the parade route. The idea was to safely repel the birds and maintain the President’s dignity, but the strange pest control came at a considerable cost to taxpayers — a whopping $13,000.

Roost No More was a sticky substance made with polybutene. When sprayed on trees and surfaces, it was an irritant to birds, who were then supposed to move along to an area without the chemical. While the inventor, Joseph Fink, was confident in his product’s effectiveness (he once drank some in front of health commissioners to demonstrate its safety), the outcome from the Nixon committee was far from what was anticipated. The liberally applied sticky spray not only irritated the birds’ feet but also got into their feathers and beaks. This caused some to fall to the ground and die, unable to fly or eat. The streets were soon littered with bird corpses, giving the inauguration an unexpected and macabre twist.

In a strange turn of events, Nixon’s attempt to avoid one type of mess led to another; and one that was much larger. The inaugural celebration became marked by the unfortunate sight of dead birds littering the ground. Although this was exactly what the President had hoped to avoid, his inauguration proceeded through this tragic and embarrassing mess.

For many Presidents, a faux pas of this magnitude would be remembered forever when recalling their legacy. In the case of Nixon, he had so many blunders and controversies that 50 years later, this incident barely registers a blip on the radar of his presidency.