State Funeral Support Services - Washington National Cathedral

The contract action was not awarded competitively.The overall planning as well as the decision to hold a state funeral, is largely determined by the President before his death and the First Family. The location of thereligious funeral service is critical in that it is a reflection of the sympathy and mourning of the entire nation, to the world at large. The Washington National Cathedral, located on Wisconsin Ave. NW in Washington, D.C., has been the site for the last 3 PresidentialState Funerals in 2004, 2006, and 2018. The Washington National Cathedral (WNC) is the second largest cathedral in the United States with an expanded seating capacity of over 4,000. The United States Congress has designated the Washington National Cathedral as the “National House of Prayer” and the Cathedral has been requested as the funeral venue by the families of four of the five former presidents that are still living although the funeral plans for Presidents Obama, Trump, and Biden are still under development. Seating capacity, historic significance, and family wishes were all critical criteria in the selection process. After analysis of the three most recent state funerals, it was found that attendance at the State Funeral for President Ronald Reagan reached almost 4,000, for President Gerald Ford almost 3,700, and for President George H.W. Bush almost 3,100. The venue’s seating capacity and infrastructure are the most essential criteria in selecting a location for a State Funeral. Historic significance is another critical criterion to this requirement. The Washington National Cathedral has been the site of national services of great mourning and great celebration since its first service on the grounds in 1898. The Cathedral has hosted four (including the last three) Presidential state funerals (Eisenhower, Reagan, Ford, Bush), one official burial service (Wilson), and seven Presidential memorial services. Based on the criteria identified above and the wishes of four of the five former Presidents, Washington National Cathedral is the only location that can meet the expected seating capacity of a state funeral while providing the religious overtones expected during a funeral service, along with the historical significance of a national