The last time Joe Biden packed up and left office, he took with him tens of thousands of papers from his decades in public service.

John Adams and John Quincy Adams also opted not to participate in a tradition that began with George Washington. The White House Historical Association points out that John Adams was never formally invited by his successor, Thomas Jefferson, to the event and perhaps didn’t want to impose. He did not call on Adams, nor did Adams invite Jackson to the White House. Some four decades later, President-elect Ulysses S. Grant refused to ride with President Andrew Johnson from the White House to the Capitol for the ceremony. Rather, Ford was administered the oath of office in the White House East Room shortly after Nixon had tendered his resignation to avoid impeachment.