Helen Louise Taft
(née Herron; June 2, 1861 – May 22,
1943), known as Nellie, was the first lady of the United States from 1909 to
1913 as the wife of President William Howard Taft. Born to a politically
well-connected Ohio family, she took an early interest in political life,
deciding at the age of 17 that she wished to become first lady. Herron married
Taft in 1886, and she guided him throughout his political career, encouraging
him to take actions that would bring him closer to the presidency. Accompanying
her husband to the Philippines in 1900, she became a prominent socialite in
Manila, contributing to US-Philippines relations. After her husband was
appointed Secretary of War, she played a significant role in convincing him to
run for president in the 1908 presidential election and making the necessary
connections to ensure his success.
As first lady, Taft was closely involved in the political
aspects of the presidency, regularly sitting in on meetings and serving as her
husband's closest advisor. She held a strong influence over the president's
decisions, expressing her concerns when she disagreed with him and providing
her input on presidential appointments. She also carried out a reorganization
of the White House staff and decor. Inspired by her experience in the
Philippines, she converted the White House lawn and the West Potomac Park into
social hubs with regular live shows and events. Her decision to plant cherry
trees in the park proved to be a success, creating a popular tourist
attraction. Taft's influence as first lady was cut short by a stroke two months
into her tenure, permanently limiting her mobility and leaving her absent for a
year while she partially recovered.
Though President Taft was relieved that his term had ended,
Helen Taft was upset by his defeat for reelection. She remained active after
leaving the White House, supporting the Red Cross during World War I and
participating in activities for the Colonial Dames of America. She was widowed
in 1930, and she was buried beside her husband in Arlington National Cemetery
after her death in 1943.
Early life
Childhood
Helen Herron was born on June 2, 1861, in Cincinnati as the
fourth of eleven children, the daughter of Harriet Collins Herron and lawyer
John Williamson Herron. Throughout her life, she went by "Nellie". Her father was an associate of two future
presidents: he was a college classmate of Benjamin Harrison and a law partner
of Rutherford B. Hayes, while her mother was the daughter and the sister of
U.S. congressmen. Growing up around politics, Herron developed a love for
campaigning. She was also musically inclined as a child, eventually becoming proficient
in the piano.
Herron's many siblings, eight of whom survived to adulthood,
made life complicated for her family, causing her to develop a personal insecurity
and distance herself from her family. As a teenager, Herron would rebel
against the societal expectations for upper class women; by the age of 15 she
had secretly begun smoking cigarettes, drinking whiskey, and gambling. Seeking
a channel for her ambition and independence, she enrolled in Cincinnati's
prestigious Miss Nourse School for Girls where she was educated in many
subjects, including several languages. She then attended Miami University,
and she also briefly attended the University of Cincinnati.
Herron took an interest in law when she was young, often
reading her father's legal books at his law office. In 1877, she accompanied
her parents when they visited President Hayes and stayed for several weeks at
the White House. Her younger sister Lucy Hayes Herron was baptized at that
event and named for Mrs. Hayes. This visit instilled in Herron a strong desire
to return to the White House as first lady, one that she would often present to
her eventual husband.
Early career and
courtship
Herron long wished to leave Ohio, feeling that the region
offered her little opportunity. She did not consider marriage to be a viable
option, believing that matrimony should not be a woman's goal. As a young
adult, she worked for her father in his law office. Her debut took place at
this time, which she enjoyed despite considering her social obligations to be
frivolous. Herron lamented her lack of career options as a woman, eventually
taking up teaching as it was the only available career for which she was
qualified. She taught French at a private school in Walnut Hills, Ohio for two
years beginning in 1881, but she found it unpleasant. She wished to write or
perform music, though neither developed into a career for her.
Herron first met William Howard Taft at a sledding party in
1880, though the Herron family and the Taft family were familiar with one
another. They would go on to perform together as part of the community theater
company. In 1884, Herron founded a salon to discuss intellectual topics each
Sunday afternoon with other people of her age. Among the people she invited
were Taft and his brother Horace. Taft courted Herron, accompanying her to
dances and sending her letters and flowers. Self-doubt caused Herron to avoid
commitment to Taft, fearing that he did not truly care for her or value her
opinions. Taft proposed to her multiple times, and she eventually accepted in
June 1885, though she asked that he keep the engagement secret.
Marriage and family
Marriage
Herron married Taft on June 19, 1886. They went on a
honeymoon in Europe, spending three months in England before visiting Germany
and Italy. She managed the budget on their vacation, limiting their spending to
five dollars per day. After returning, her husband borrowed money to have a
home built for them in Walnut Hills, and they lived with his parents until it
was complete.
As a couple, they shared not only an emotional companionship
but an intellectual one, and they held high regard for each other's ideas. Her
husband would welcome her opinion when she thought he was in error, describing
her as his "best critic",
and she would sometimes mother him. He generally took her advice, though she
failed in her attempts to convince him to live a healthier lifestyle and better
control his weight. Taft's husband considered Taft to be the politician of the
family, and early in their marriage he expected her to develop a political
career that would outpace his own. She managed the finances of the Taft
household, and she encouraged her husband's political career, pushing him
toward the executive branch rather than his preferred career in the judiciary.
Taft worried about their political future when her husband
accepted a five-year term on the Cincinnati Superior Court in 1888, but she was
optimistic after he was appointed Solicitor General of the United States in
1890, a position which she had helped him in obtaining through her
acquaintance with President Harrison. She saw their move to Washington, D.C.,
as an opportunity to escape Cincinnati, where she had felt confined, and she
hoped that her husband would build connections in Washington politics. She
assisted her husband in his presentation in this role, instructing him in
oration to better plead cases. She also became a popular socialite in the city
and regularly attended Congressional proceedings, both of which allowed her to
build political connections. Among her closest friends in Washington were the
family of Attorney General William H. H. Miller and the wives of the Supreme
Court justices.
They returned to Cincinnati in 1892 when Taft's husband was
appointed as a judge on the federal circuit. He enjoyed this position, but Taft
again feared that it would stifle his ambition and that he would progress no
further. While her husband served on the bench, Taft raised their three
children: Robert, born 1889; Helen, born 1891; and Charles, born 1897. She
helped found a hospital at this time, and she founded the Cincinnati Orchestra
Association, serving as its president. She lamented the lack of excitement in
Cincinnati, with her only respite being a vacation home in Murray Bay, Quebec.
Life in the
Philippines
Taft's husband was sent to help establish a government in
the Philippines in 1900, as Spain had transferred the Philippines to the United
States the previous year. Though neither of them knew what the job would
entail, Taft encouraged him to accept the position. She relished this
opportunity for travel and excitement, stopping in Hawaii and Japan while her
husband went on to the Philippines. She also believed that the position would
move him closer to the presidency. After Taft arrived in the Philippines, she
sought to win the approval of the Filipino people and respect the culture of
the Philippines by learning the language, wearing a native Filipino costume,
and inviting Filipinos to social events. Taft's treatment of the Filipino
people contributed to improved relations with the country, including her work
to end the system of racial segregation that had previously been in place.
Taft traveled extensively throughout the Philippines,
learning how to ride a horse in order to do so. She also accompanied her
husband when he traveled to China, Japan, and Hong Kong on official duties.
She considered her primary responsibility in the country to be the hosting of
gala events, where she would mingle with the Filipino people. Her husband
became Governor-General of the Philippines on July 4, 1901, and the Tafts moved
into the Malacañang Palace in Manila. While in the Philippines, Taft organized
a nutritional program that provided milk for Filipino children. When she wrote
her autobiography years later, the majority of her writing addressed her years
in the Philippines, overshadowing even her time in the White House.
The Tafts took leave from the Philippines and began a voyage
to return home on December 24, 1901. The winter was difficult for Taft, as she
was exhausted from the constant stress of her role in the Philippines,
compounded by her husband needing two surgeries, and both of her parents
suffering from strokes, her mother's proving fatal. Taft accompanied her
husband on a trip to Italy in 1902, where she was treated as a guest of honor
and was personally received by Pope Leo XIII. She returned to Philippines in
September 1902. When President Theodore Roosevelt offered Taft's husband the
position of Secretary of War in 1904, Taft convinced him to accept, and the
Tafts returned to Washington, D.C.
Cabinet member's wife
Taft became a cabinet member's wife when her husband became
Secretary of War. In this role, she was expected to call upon and receive other
cabinet members' wives in Washington. She considered the position to be a
downgrade from her time in the Philippines, where she had grown accustomed to
being the wife of the region's chief executive. This also required her to be
in regular contact with first lady Edith Roosevelt, with whom she developed a
strong rivalry. At the same time, Taft's husband developed a close political
and personal friendship with President Roosevelt: a relationship that Taft
encouraged and helped facilitate. His work in the Department of War did allow
for more travel, providing Taft with a chance to learn more of international
politics and make connections abroad. The couple traveled together to Panama
and Japan, and she also took their children on a vacation to England while her husband
stayed behind.
Taft's husband's career came to a crossroads in 1906 when
President Roosevelt considered nominating him for a position on the Supreme
Court, while at the same time momentum grew for a William Howard Taft
presidency. Taft was vehemently opposed to her husband taking such a position,
fearing it would end any further political aspirations. She personally met with
Roosevelt and discouraged him from nominating her husband in a half hour discussion.
Taft had spoken to the president on several occasions, earning his trust to
improve her husband's position in the Roosevelt administration. This would
eventually contribute to Roosevelt's support of a William Howard Taft
presidency, and Roosevelt would even strategize politically with Taft rather
than with her husband as the 1908 presidential election approached.
By 1907, Taft's husband was considered to be a potential
candidate for the presidency, and the Tafts traveled across the country in a
speaking tour. Taft found the experience more intensive than she had expected,
and she was deeply embarrassed by one incident in which she lost track of the
week and she was seen playing cards with her husband on the Lord's Day.
Afterward, they returned to the Philippines and took a trip to other countries.
Upon returning to the United States, Taft declined to join her husband in
campaigning. She did advise him during his campaign, however, and she closely
followed news coverage of the race so that she would be aware of the criticisms
against him. She also advised him as to how his decisions as Secretary of War
would affect public opinion.
First Lady of the
United States
Entering the White
House
Taft considered it a personal victory when her husband was
elected president in 1908, as she had guided him toward the office. She eagerly
planned for the upcoming inauguration and her term as first lady, including how
she would manage the White House. She also had her inaugural dress sent to the
Philippines so that it could be embroidered there. President Roosevelt was
unavailable on the day of President Taft's inauguration, so Taft determined
that she would ride to the White House with her husband in Roosevelt's place,
becoming the first presidential wife to do so.
Upon entering the White House, Taft had the White House
redecorated, and she removed the trophy heads that Theodore Roosevelt had
mounted on the walls. She made several other decorative changes, taking
inspiration from Eastern cultures and using flowers from the White House
greenhouse. She had twin beds put into the White House for the first time, and
she made accommodations for the White House silver collection by installing a
vault and a silver cleaner. She also made staff changes, replacing with the
ushers with footmen and the steward with a housekeeper. Taft was strict about
cleanliness and presentation in the White House, and her decorative talents
were celebrated by contemporary journalists.
In May 1909, shortly after her husband's term began, Taft
suffered a stroke, impairing her speech and limiting movement in right arm and
leg. She left Washington to recover, causing newspapers to report that she had
suffered a nervous breakdown. Over the following year, Taft was forced to
relearn how to speak. She took a less active role after her stroke, but she
remained involved in White House affairs. Though her condition improved over
time, she would never fully recover. The nature of her stroke was not
disclosed to the press, following a long-standing precedent of the press not
inquiring about the first lady's private life.
Hostess and socialite
Taft had grown accustomed to the royal style of treatment
that she had experienced in the Philippines, and she wished to establish a
similar regal environment as White House hostess. She sought to improve the
social traditions associated with the White House while she was first lady; she
changed the locations of events to make them more efficient, and she introduced
dancing at formal receptions. She made extensive use of the White House lawn,
hosting garden parties, theatrical shows, and music performances. In the time
that she was recovering from her stroke in 1909, Taft took a less active role
in organizing events, having her sisters and her daughter supporting her in the
duties of White House hostess. She resumed her responsibilities in 1910, and
she had returned to an active schedule by 1911. Taft hosted many parties and
social events, but the social highlight of her tenure was the Tafts' silver
wedding anniversary gala on June 19, 1911, for nearly 5,000 guests. Another
15,000 observers crowded outside of the White House.
Taft exerted some level of autonomy while she served as
first lady. She declined to participate in luncheons with the wives of cabinet
members, feeling that they were of little consequence and simply a means of
putting her aside as a woman. Instead, she observed presidential meetings and
closely managed the organization of the White House. She felt that the
presidential salary of $75,000 was well above what they needed, she reduced their
spending to $50,000 per year, accumulating a savings of $100,000 by the end of
her husband's term. Among her cost-saving practices were the purchase of foods
wholesale and the care of a cow on White House grounds to provide milk and
butter. The presence of the cow was poorly received.
As first lady, Taft received guests three afternoons a week
in the Red Room. She introduced musical entertainment after state dinners which
became a White House tradition. The Tafts attended symphony, opera, and theater
performances in Washington, D.C.; she started another summer tradition at West
Potomac Park with the United States Marine Band playing for the public. One
major undertaking of Taft's tenure as first lady was the transformation of the
West Potomac Park into an esplanade. Inspired by Luneta Park in Manila, she had
a bandstand constructed and organized weekly concerts. She also arranged for
the planting of Japanese cherry trees, accepting a donation of trees from the
mayor of Tokyo, who was a friend of the Tafts. The Potomac cherry trees would
continue to be a popular tourist attraction, particularly during their
blooming.
Prohibition was a major political issue while the Tafts
lived in the White House. Taft opposed the Prohibition movement, and she served
alcohol to White House guests against the wishes of the president. Unlike most
other first ladies, Taft would visit the White House kitchens and oversee the
preparation of food. In particular, she would observe the preparation of one
of her specialty dishes, turtle soup. As first lady, Taft also saw to the
replacement of horse and buggy with the first presidential automobile fleet.
She was open with the press, and she broke precedent by actively participating
in media interviews. She particularly engaged with women journalists to support
their work and earn their support. In 1912, she donated her inauguration gown
to the National Museum of American History to begin the First Ladies' Gown
display, one of the Smithsonian’s most popular exhibits.
Political influence
Taft took an interest in everything relating to her
husband's presidency, and she maintained her own opinions on important matters.
Though she did not believe that women should be "meddling" in
politics, she spoke publicly on her beliefs, even when they contradicted the
positions of her husband. She managed his appearance and scheduling to ensure
he maintained proper presentation, and she would provide him with political
information such as names and statistics as he needed them. She would also
stay near him to prevent his narcolepsy from affecting his responsibilities.
Taft also influenced appointments during her husband's
presidency, providing her thoughts on the character of his nominees. She
convinced her husband to recall Ambassador Henry White because of a
long-standing grudge that she held against him. She also rejected the
appointment of Nicholas Longworth as a diplomat because he was married to Alice
Roosevelt Longworth, whom she disliked. This latter action is cited as one of
the reasons that Presidents Roosevelt and Taft began to oppose one another during
the Taft presidency.
Though Taft did not identify as a feminist, she supported
women's rights and used her position to advance the cause, convincing her
husband to appoint women in government. In 1912, she attended a House Rules
committee inquiry to hear testimonies of police brutality against women,
bringing awareness to the issue. She also supported the rights of African
Americans and other marginalized groups, believing that they were hampered by a
lack of opportunity. She was active in other causes, such as safe workplace
conditions, throughout her tenure as first lady. Her stroke at the beginning
of her tenure prevented her from further political activity, a fact that she
regretted. Her husband recognized her influence in White House politics,
considering the accomplishments of his presidency to be hers as well. She also
spoke openly about her own influence on the presidency, prompting criticism
from her husband's political opponents.
Taft was the first First Lady to visit the American
judiciary. In 1911, she visited the Supreme Court of the United States to hear
the arguments of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey
v. United States. She also asked to observe the inauguration of new
Supreme Court justices, becoming the first woman to ever sit in the bar of the
court. In June 1912, she attended both the Republican National Convention that
re-nominated her husband and the Democratic National Convention that nominated
his opponent Woodrow Wilson. She took a front-row seat at the latter in order
to deter speakers' criticism of her husband. Though her husband disliked the
presidency, Taft was saddened when her husband lost reelection to Woodrow
Wilson in the 1912 presidential election, and she left the White House
reluctantly.
Later life and death
After leaving the White House, the Tafts moved to New Haven,
Connecticut, where Taft's husband held a chair at Yale University. Taft was
unhappy with life outside of the White House, and she was often alone when her
husband was traveling and her children were away at school. She was, however,
happy to be out of the public eye. In 1914, Taft became the first First Lady
to publish a memoir with the publication of Recollections of Full Years, which
had been written with her daughter Helen and journalist Eleanor Egan. She took
an interest in the events of World War I, and during the war she provided
support for the American Red Cross.
The Tafts continued to travel after retiring from the White
House, visiting Bermuda, Panama, England, and Italy, being greeted in the
latter two countries by King George V and the Pope, respectively. Continuing in
her interest in politics, Taft joined the Colonial Dames of America in 1923 and
became its honorary vice president in 1925. She also served as the honorary
leader of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Taft was widowed on March 8, 1930. In her final years, she
lived with her housekeeper in Washington, D.C., occasionally traveling to other
countries. She continued to follow politics later in life, opposing the New
Deal policies that were implemented in the 1930s. Taft died in Washington on
May 22, 1943, and was buried next to her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.
Legacy
Taft was one of the earliest first ladies to become directly
involved in the political career of her husband. Her influence in presidential
politics was not given significant attention by historians after her death in
1943, and like other first ladies, her influence was not closely examined by
historians until the 1980s. Before this, she was most well known for her
introduction of cherry trees in the West Potomac Park. The first biography
about Taft was written in 2005 by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, who argued that she
was her husband's closest advisor and that she saw herself as responsible for
the presidency as her husband. Her role as a mentor and guide to her husband
was recognized by contemporary journalists and has since become a defining
aspect of her legacy. She is recognized for her role in developing her
husband's political career and bringing about the presidency of William Howard
Taft.
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