Rolph’s Oath: Sacramento 1931

This 1931 silent newsreel, California Governor-Elect James Rolph Sworn In as New Governor, captures James “Sunny Jim” Rolph’s inauguration as California’s 27th governor on January 6, 1931, in Sacramento. Crowds cheer as Rolph, elected November 4, 1930, takes his oath outside the State Capitol, his hand on a Bible, flanked by officials. A lively parade rolls through Sacramento’s streets—floats, bands, and Model A cars—celebrating his transition from San Francisco’s longest-serving mayor. Festivities spill across the capital, with banners and revelers marking the Republican’s rise amid pre-Depression optimism, shot in crisp black-and-white.