John F. Kerry sworn in as secretary of state by Associate Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan in a small, private ceremony in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee room Friday afternoon, officials said.

After 28 years of reviewing foreign policy in that same room and representing Massachusetts in the Senate, Kerry takes the reins as America’s top diplomat from outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Bay State Democrat breezed through the Senate confirmation process this week, earning near-unanimous support for his appointment.

The one-time presidential hopeful’s ascension to State Department chief came on the same day as a suicide bomber struck the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, leaving a Turkish security guard dead. The attack - just months after four Americans were killed during an assault on a US consulate in Benghazi, Libya - underscores the challenges Kerry will face at Foggy Bottom.