Is this mandated protocol?

[jgmklmhem]

Hopefully not sparking a political debate.....but is it mandated that when Presidents show up at functions like the funeral today that they have to sit in order of their Presidencies. All the picture I have seen have BushII (and Laura), Clinton (and Hillary), BushI, and then Carter. It seems every where it is like this such as at Reagans's funeral as well. I would just think that BushI and II would sit next to each other since they are family but who knows.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

it must be. At most any function when more than one pres attended other than a Bush...they haven't sat together. I always thought it was odd--and wasn't adept enough to figure out they were sitting in order of their presedency.

 

[POB14]

Yes, it is established protocol. From West Point's protocol guide:

The accepted way to rank several of these former officials is by most recent. This means that each official is placed ahead of hisor her predecessor. There may be reason to do it the other way with the “oldest” outranking the “youngest,” but we follow the norm set by the State Department for handling Former Presidents.

Former presidents rank seventh in protocol, behind the sitting President, foreign heads of state, the Vice President, the Governor (of the state you are in), the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice, in that order.

Off-topic but kind of interesting, at least to me: Widows of former presidents rank fourteenth, below foreign ambassadors but ahead of foreign ministers and associate Supreme Court justices. So Ruth Bader Ginsburg better marry Jerry Ford in a hurry if she wants a better seat at any State dinners.