# Rosa Parks - State or Repose? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rosa-parks-state-or-repose/328366 "2005-10-28T20:15:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/45deac/32.png) [@Daylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylon)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rosa-parks-state-or-repose/328366/1 "2005-10-28T20:15:20Z")
Was listening to news coverage of Rosa Parks laying (lying?) “in repose” at the capital building. WHen Reagan was there he was laying “in state”. When do you use one versus the other? What’s the difference? D. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rosa-parks-state-or-repose/328366/2 "2005-10-28T22:25:11Z")
I asked this question when Regan was lying in state, and had forgotten the answer myself. As it happens, earlier today, I went back to research my original question and jog my memory. [Here is that thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=260662&highlight=state+repose) ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rosa-parks-state-or-repose/328366/3 "2005-10-29T04:29:03Z")
What they said on NPR tonight is that she will be “lying in honor” (not “lying in repose”) and that it’s only called “lying in state” when the decedent was a government official. FYI: she’s the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol.