And Warren said that this would be the forty-fourth transfer of power. Also not true. The transfer of power is counted by the number of the out-going president. George Washington did not come into the office through a transfer of power.
Faldage is only partially correct. Actually Washington did come into office via a transfer of power; but it was a transfer effected by a "constitutional" change. There were "presidents" before Washington but they were only "presidents of congress" under the Articles of Confederation and not a President of these United States. Therefore the power of administration was transferred from the congress to Washington. The "presidents of congress" under the Articles of Confederation were little more than parliamentary moderators. I think it was John Hanson who was the first such "president." The postal service issued a stamp honoring him a decade or so ago.
