# Current format of State of the Union **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565 "2012-01-25T02:13:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/1 "2012-01-25T02:13:14Z")
I know early SoU were merely delivered to COngress. Which President began the modern practice of adressing Congress in person? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/2 "2012-01-25T02:16:31Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > I know early SoU were merely delivered to COngress. Which President began the modern practice of adressing Congress in person? Run that by again. You mean Washington et al sent them a written report? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/3 "2012-01-25T02:18:56Z")
From the relevant [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address): > [@](#): > > While not required to deliver a speech, every president since Woodrow Wilson has made the State of the Union report as a speech delivered before a joint session of Congress. Before that time, most presidents delivered the State of the Union as a written report. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/4 "2012-01-25T02:20:24Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Run that by again. > You mean Washington et al sent them a written report? Washington and Adams actually delivered a speech to Congress in person, but Jefferson did not like this practice and wrote written reports instead, as did most of his successors during the 19th century. I believe Wilson was the first to revive the in-person form, just in time for the invention of radio. Most SoU’s since then have been in person, but there have been a few exceptions. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/5 "2012-01-25T02:24:54Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > From the relevant [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Union_address): Heheh. The article contradicts itself, noting later on that Jimmy Carter gave one written report. [Here](http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/sou.php#axzz1kQtXt1J7)’s a detailed summary of written and oral State of the Unions. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/6 "2012-01-25T02:48:42Z")
Thanks **Poly** and **friedo**. Shoulda just checked Wiki! ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/7 "2012-01-25T04:05:20Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Washington and Adams actually delivered a speech to Congress in person, but Jefferson did not like this practice and wrote written reports instead, as did most of his successors during the 19th century… Yep, Jefferson thought delivering it in person was it was too similiar to His Majesty’s Throne Speech. Which is what the State of the Union was based on. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/8 "2012-01-25T17:04:41Z")
[Watch the video,](http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nbc-news/46121100#46121100) right at the beginning, about 12 seconds in. See Obama handing identical-looking somethings to Boehner and Biden? That’s the written State of the Union report. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/9 "2012-01-25T17:10:21Z")
If only that bastard Jefferson knew of the inebriation opportunities he denied the citizens of this great republic!: [Drinking Your Way Through the State of the Union | Dacula, GA Patch](http://dacula.patch.com/articles/drinking-your-way-through-the-state-of-the-union) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/current-format-of-state-of-the-union/610565/10 "2012-01-25T21:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > Heheh. The article contradicts itself, noting later on that Jimmy Carter gave one written report. That’s not a contradiction, since the earlier claim is just that they all gave speeches. Carter did in fact give speeches; he just didn’t restrict himself to speeches.