Eric Schmitt now is Missouri's 43rd attorney general.
It took just 25 seconds for Missouri Chief Justice Zel Fischer to deliver, and for Schmitt to repeat, the oath of office required by the state Constitution, with Schmitt swearing to support the federal and state constitutions and to "faithfully demean myself in the office of attorney general, so help me God."
In a six-minute address, Schmitt said: "Being sworn in as the lawyer for 6 million Missourians is an honor of a lifetime, and I stand on the shoulders of those who came before me, and vow to uphold the rule of law and lead our office with integrity and professionalism."
Gov. Mike Parson in November named Schmitt, a former state senator who was elected as state treasurer in 2016, to the AG's post after voters on Nov. 6 elected Josh Hawley to replace Claire McCaskill in the U.S. Senate.
Parson attended the Thursday morning ceremony but didn't speak.
However, he laughed (along with most of the more than 75 people gathered in the Supreme Court Building's large entrance hall) when Fischer introduced Schmitt as the state's 43rd "governor" rather than "attorney general."
Fischer apologized, explaining he was looking at Parson while introducing Schmitt, and just named the wrong office.
It was a light-hearted moment during a more serious event, as the office changed hands outside the normal, four-year calendar.
Schmitt began his brief speech remembering Edward Bates, "the son of a Revolutionary War hero, (who) moved to the Missouri Territory in the early 1800s as a young man (and), as a lawyer, played a key role in Missouri achieving statehood, then served as a member of Missouri's first Constitutional Convention and as our state's first attorney general."
Forty years later, Bates served as U.S. Attorney General in Abraham Lincoln's administration during the Civil War.
Schmitt then named six of his predecessors in the Missouri AG's office - Tom Eagleton, John Danforth, John Ashcroft, Jay Nixon, Chris Koster and Hawley - and noted they all had varied careers in the state and/or federal governments.
"If you talk to those still living - as I have - it is clear that their work in this office is a real source of pride and was consequential," he said, then added: "Beyond the attorneys general themselves are the literally thousands of attorneys and staff members over the years, plus those working in this office right now, who have stepped up and admirably answered the call to serve their fellow citizens.
"Some have served this office for decades; some others have served our justice system in different capacities after leaving, and are better lawyers because of their time here."
In a brief question-and-answer session after his speech, Schmitt said he's working to build "an incredible team" in the attorney general's office.
Since Parson announced the appointment, to be effective Thursday, Schmitt quipped: "I feel like a college football coach - over the last 45 days, all I've been doing is recruiting, I feel like."
New recruits include:
Tom Albus, as first assistant attorney general - a career prosecutor, Albus served as an assistant U.S. Attorney in St. Louis for the last 16 years.
Cristian (Cris) Stevens, as deputy attorney general for Criminal Litigation - also a long-time prosecutor who served 15 years as an assistant U.S. Attorney. Stevens also previously served as an assistant United States Attorney, prosecuting a variety of crimes including murder, narcotics and civil rights violations.
Other appointments are expected to be announced soon, Schmitt's spokesman, Drew Dziedzic, told the News Tribune.
Schmitt declined to comment on "any ongoing investigations (or) hypothetical investigations - I think that's part of how we're going to run this office in a professional way. We want to make sure that we're doing our job as the state's chief law enforcement officer."
He said he already has met with prosecuting attorneys and law enforcement leaders around the state to see how the attorney general's office can help them do a better job locally.
Observers already are wondering if Schmitt will be a candidate for the job in the 2020 elections, but he declined to make that announcement.
"I am very focused on this job right now," he said. "(Growing up), I didn't know any lawyers, and I was inspired to study the law because I believed that it created a framework for people to pursue their dreams.
"So this job is really important to me - and that's where my focus is."
Public safety and helping in the fight against opioid abuse are his priorities, he said.
"Our goal is simple," Schmitt said during his speech, "to make this office the envy of attorney general offices across the country, and to make this the best law firm in the state of Missouri - to do the right thing by our fellow citizens, and protect them from any and all threats."