Sworn in: Gov. Eric Greitens took the oath of office Monday outside the Capitol building in Jefferson City. The first Jewish governor of the state placed one hand on a Bible owned by a World War I veteran as he recited the oath.
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Festival of One Act Plays
Held on UCA Campus for the theater majors, on Wednesday, December 5.
His inauguration marked the first time Missouri Republicans have supermajorities in the state House and Senate and control of the governor's mansion.
Republicans Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, Treasurer Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Attorney General Josh Hawley also were sworn into office.
More than 6,000 people packed the Capitol lawn for the event.
Big businesses fund festivities: Greitens' inaugural festivities were funded by some of the state's most prominent businesses.
Greitens has not revealed a cost for Monday's privately funded celebrations, but he has released a list of "benefactors" that have helped finance the events. That list includes such businesses as Anheuser-Busch, Boeing, Enterprise, Express Scripts, General Motors, Monsanto and Wal-Mart.
Also on the list is the ride-hailing firm Uber, which provided free rides to people in the Jefferson City area during the inaugural festivities.
Greitens' inaugural events appear to have been more elaborate than those of the past two governors, Democrat Jay Nixon and Republican Matt Blunt, whose events cost $250,000 or less.
Missouri's most expensive inaugural was Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's $1 million celebration in 2001.
Honoring heroes: Greitiens honored veterans, teachers, law enforcement officers, farmers and others as part of a ceremony recognizing "Missouri heroes."
Greitens presented coins to about 150 people during a Capitol ceremony preceding his inauguration.
The ceremony started with a prayer then featured an address by Donna Axelson, the mother of Matthew "Axe" Axelson, a Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan. She talked about the heroism of veterans and the importance of patriotism.
In a speech following Axelson, Greitens said the Missouri hero awards were intended to take the focus off "celebrities" and place it on "the best representatives of the Missouri people." The ceremony ended with a prayer and the procession of the honorees.
Welcome home: Gov. Greitens and first lady Sheena Greitens smiled and greeted people at the Governor's Mansion in Jefferson City after Greitens' Monday inauguration. They shook hands in a room decorated with portraits of former first ladies, including the most recent first lady, Georganne Nixon.
A line of hundreds of people hoping to meet the couple wrapped around the block.
Tour guides dressed in period-piece, floor-length gowns with white frills wandered around the mansion. Friends of the Missouri Governor's Mansion Executive Director Rebecca Gordon said some dresses were typical of the Victorian era, when the mansion was built.
Star power at inaugural ball: Country music star and Missouri native Sara Evans performed at the inaugural ball Monday night.
Greitens' senior adviser, Austin Chambers, announced Evans' performance to reporters shortly before the Monday inauguration.
The inaugural ball is a Missouri tradition. Greitens and the first lady danced to the "Missouri Waltz" before Evans performed.
Information from the Associated Press.