Harry Reid is the 37th public servant to lie in state at the Capitol. A Capitol Hill veteran explains the history behind the practice.

• In 1852, Henry Clay became the first person to lie in state at the Capitol rotunda.
• Before an official can lie in state, both the House and Senate must sanction an act of Congress.

On Wednesday, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will become the 37th public official to lie in state, a longstanding ceremony reserved to commemorate only the most revered public servants after their death.

The honor is only be extended to a public servant when both the Senate and the House of Representatives sanction an act of Congress, a feat that requires respect in both chambers, according to Jane Campbell, CEO and president of the US Capitol Historical Society.

Campbell previously served as mayor of Cleveland and chief of staff to former US Sen. Mary Landrieu, in addition to leading the Washington office of the National Development Council. During her time in the Senate, Campbell got to work alongside Reid, who she described as a dedicated institutionalist.

"All of the things that people have said about him being an incredible man of his word, a leader who knew all of the intimate details about all of the members he worked with and most of the staff, are true," Campbell said of the late Nevada senator.

Like those who were honored before him, Reid's casket will be escorted into the Capitol rotunda where it will lie in state draped in an American flag, guarded by members of the US armed forces.

Symbolism and tradition inform the longstanding ceremony

From the historical context to the location of the ceremony, symbolism is a deeply integral part of lying in state, Campbell told Insider.

The first public servant to lie in state was Henry Clay, a "unique figure," according to Campbell, who was elected as Speaker of the House during his freshman term in Congress, served as Secretary of State under President John Quincy Adams, also served in the Senate, and helped craft the Missouri Compromise.

When Clay was extended the honor in 1852, the Capitol Rotunda was still a relatively new architectural addition, which led to its selection as the location for lying in state ceremonies, according to Campbell.

"You think about the majesty of the building. The Capitol is really the iconic building that represents the experiment of American democracy," Campbell said. "The interesting thing is presidents don't lie in state at the White House. They lie in state at the Capitol because that's the center of our government."

A tribute to American democracy calls for meticulous preparation

Before any lying in state ceremony, the team comprising the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) — a federal agency dedicated to the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the building — completes a rigorous list of preparations.

They buff and wax the floors of the rotunda, check lighting fixtures, and power-wash the stone entrances to the Capitol, according to the AOC website. They also install chairs, podiums, and media risers the evening before the ceremony, as well as construct a viewing line for attendees inside the Capitol Visitor Center with tables and condolence books.

Caskets of public servants who lie in state are carried into the rotunda and placed on a catafalque that was used for President Abraham Lincoln's ceremony, Campbell told Insider.

The catafalque, a structure that props up caskets, is made from rough pine boards that have been nailed together and covered with black cloth, according to the AOC website. While it remains close to its original form, its base and platform have been occasionally altered to accommodate larger modern coffins, such as the marble casket of President Ronald Reagan, Campbell told Insider.

"I mean [the catafalque] was not a very fancy item but it had such high value to the country because President Lincoln was the president who presided over the country breaking apart and coming back together," Campbell said. "People who understand the majesty of history and the importance of symbols knew that we should hold onto that."

COVID-19 calls for a different approach to tradition

While few changes have been made to the ceremony since its inception, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in slight alterations in customs. For example, during the lying in state ceremony of former US Rep. John Lewis, which was held in July 2020, his casket was brought onto the steps of the Capitol to allow attendees to safely pay their respects.

Reid's ceremony has been limited to invited guests only due to COVID-19, according to a press release from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Even with slight pandemic adjustments, AOC staff still ensure that each ceremony is tailored to the public servant being honored by working with their family to incorporate personal elements, Campbell told Insider.

"We're going into the most dignified of all possible ceremonies," Campbell said. "It reminds you, or it reminds me, of why we were so horrified at the attack on the Capitol, because that rotunda is for the highest awards, the Congressional gold medal, the highest honor a public servant can have, to lay in state. It is a majestic building that is a tribute to our democracy, and to see it violated was just horrifying," Campbell said, referring to the insurrection. "So I'm glad that we're seeing it being used as intended."