According to Article II, Section 3 of the US Constitution, the President, “shall from time to time give to the Congress information regarding the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.” 

The first address to a Joint Session of Congress in the Capitol was by President John Adams in 1800 welcoming Members to the new capital city.  From Thomas Jefferson until Theodore Roosevelt, State of the Union communications were delivered to each House to be spoken by the Clerk.  It was not until Woodrow Wilson in 1913 addressed a Joint Session of Congress that a president walked into the Halls of Congress again to formally address them.  A year later, in 1914, Wilson began the practice of formally addressing Congress for a State of the Union address. Since 1930, the only Presidents to have given a State of the Union speech within a short period of time after they were inaugurated were Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.   Most other presidents have given a State of the Union speech after their first year in office.  Typically, the President will address Congress, either in Joint Session or in a meeting in either chamber, to emphasize a certain issue of dire importance, such as a campaign promise, within a few months of being sworn in. Below are examples of recent presidents who have followed these trends.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)
Inaugurated on 4 March 1933
First Joint Session Speech on 3 January 1934
(The 20th Amendment of the United States changed inaugurations to be January 20th for presidents’ inaugurated after 1933)

President Harry S Truman (D)
Sworn In on 12 April 1945
First Joint Session Speech on 16 April 1945, Prosecution of the War
First State of the Union Address on 6 January 1947

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
Inaugurated on 20 January 1953
First State of the Union Address on 2 February 1953

President John F. Kennedy (D)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1961
First State of the Union Address on 30 January 1961

President Lyndon B. Johnson (D)
Sworn In 22 November 1963/ Assumption of Office Joint Session 27 November 1963
First State of the Union Address on 8 January 1964

President Richard M. Nixon (R)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1969
First Joint House and Joint Senate Speech on 13 November 1969
First State of the Union Address on 22 January 1970

President Gerald R. Ford (R)
Sworn In on 9 August 1974/Assumption of Office Joint Session on 12 August 1974
First Joint Session Speech on 8 October 1974, Economy
First State of the Union Address on 15 January 1975

President Jimmy Carter (D)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1977
First Joint Session Speech on 20 April 1977
First State of the Union Address on 19 January 1978

President Ronald Reagan (R)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1981
First Joint Session Speech on 18 February 1981, Economic Recovery
First State of the Union Speech on 26 January 1982

President George H.W. Bush (R)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1989
First Joint Session Speech on 9 February 1989, Building a Better America
First State of the Union Speech on 31 January 1990

 President William Clinton (D)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 1993
First Joint Session Speech on 17 February 1993, Economy
First State of the Union Address 25 January 1994

President George W. Bush (R)
Inaugurated First on 20 January 2001
First Joint Session Speech on 27 February 2001, Budget
First State of the Union Address 29 January 2002

President Barack Obama (D)
Will be inaugurated on 20 January 2009