Helen Herron Taft

Helen Louise Taft (née Herron; June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943), known as Nellie, was the wife of President William Howard Taft and the first lady of the United States from 1909 to 1913.

Born to a politically well-connected Ohio family, Nellie was well educated, and taught before marrying William. She supported her husband throughout his career, and was socially keen, greatly helping them when he was in various offices. Their children all went on to successful careers themselves. Nellie had a lasting impact on the position of First Lady; among other things, she introduced some musical traditions, ably handled social affairs, and was key in the planting of Washington's famous cherry trees. She also supported social causes such as women's suffrage and workplace safety. She remained socially active past her husband's death.

Early life

Helen Herron was on June 2, 1861 in Cincinnati as the fourth of eleven children. She was 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. Nellie's mother was the daughter and the sister of U.S. congressmen; Nellie's grandfather, Ela Collins, and uncle, William Collins, were both members of Congress, and her uncle Isaac Clinton Collins was a judge and politician. Growing up around politics, Nellie developed a love for campaigning.

As a teenager, Nellie 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. Nellie was enrolled in private Miss Nourse School, known in Cincinnati as ''The Nursery'', in 1866–1879, and took classes from the University of Cincinnati. In 1877, she attended with her parents the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary celebration of President and Mrs. Rutherford B. Hayes and stayed for a week at the White House. Her younger sister Lucy Hayes Herron was baptized at that event and named for Mrs. Hayes. This visit instilled in Nellie a strong desire to return to the White House as first lady, one that she would often present to her eventual husband.

Nellie 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. She balanced this with her social expectations following her debut, which she enjoyed despite considering it to be frivolous. Nellie 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 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, but neither developed into a career for her.

Nellie founded a salon to discuss intellectual topics each Sunday afternoon with other people of her age. Among the people she invited were William Howard Taft and Horace Dutton Taft of the influential Taft family. William attempted to court Nellie, accompanying her to dances and sending her letters and flowers. Lifelong self-doubt caused Nellie to avoid commitment to William, fearing that he did not truly care for her or value her opinions. William 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

Taft married Nellie on June 19, 1886, at the home of the bride's parents in Cincinnati. The wedding was performed by the Reverend D.N.A. Hoge of Zanesville, Ohio. Taft's younger brother Horace Taft was the best man. The couple honeymooned one day in New York City and four days at Sea Bright, New Jersey. Afterward, on her insistence, they set off for a three month trip to Europe that was beyond their means.

The Tafts had two sons and a daughter: Robert A. Taft (1889–1953) was a politician and statesman, Helen Taft Manning (1891–1987) was an educator, and Charles Phelps Taft II (1897–1983) was a civic leader. Nellie managed the finances of the Taft household. She encouraged her husband's political career, and she continued to push him toward the executive branch rather than his preferred career in the judiciary. William considered her to be the politician of the family, and early in their marriage he expected Nellie to develop a political career that outpaced his own.

The Tafts moved to Washington, D.C. in 1890 when William was appointed Solicitor General of the United States. Nellie assisted William in his presentation in this role, instructing him in oration to better plead cases. They returned to Cincinnati in 1892 when William was appointed as a judge on the federal circuit. He enjoyed this position, but Nellie feared that it would stifle his ambition and that he would progress no further. At this time, she managed the Cincinnati Orchestra Association.

Life in the Philippines

William 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, Nellie encouraged him to accept the position. She relished this opportunity for travel, stopping in Hawaii and Japan while William went on to the Philippines. After Nellie 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. She traveled extensively throughout the Philippines, learning how to ride a horse in order to do so.

William became Governor-General of the Philippines on July 4, 1901, and the Tafts moved into the Malacañang Palace in Manila. While in the Philippines, Nellie 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. Nellie accompanied William 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 traveled from Italy to the Philippines in September 1902 to rejoin her husband, who had left weeks prior.

Cabinet member's wife

Nellie became a cabinet member's wife when William became Secretary of War in 1904. 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. William's work in the Department of War did allow for more travel, providing Nellie with a widened interest in world politics and a cosmopolitan circle of friends. William'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 Taft presidency. Nellie was vehemently opposed to William taking a position on the Supreme Court, fearing it would end any further political aspirations. She personally met with Roosevelt and discouraged him from nominating William in a half hour discussion.

In 1907, as support for a Taft presidency grew, the Tafts traveled across the country in a speaking tour. Nellie 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, Nellie declined to participate in campaigning. She considered it a personal victory when William 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 William's inauguration, so Nellie determined that she would ride to the White House with her husband in Roosevelt's place, becoming the first presidential wife to do so.

First Lady of the United States

Entering the White House

Upon entering the White House, Nellie had the White House redecorated, and she removed the trophy heads that Theodore Roosevelt had mounted on the walls. 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 housekeeper with a steward.

As first lady, Nellie started to receive guests three afternoons a week in the Red Room. At times, she attended the cabinet meetings with the President without speaking on the issues. 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.

In May 1909, shortly after her husband's term began, Nellie suffered a stroke, impairing her speech, right arm and leg. She left Washington to recover, causing newspapers to report that she had suffered a nervous breakdown. Over the following year, Nellie was forced to relearn how to speak. Her sisters and her daughter supported her in carrying out the duties of White House hostess, but Nellie regretted her inability to participate in White House politics. 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

Nellie 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. Nellie hosted many parties and social events, but the social highlight of the Taft administration 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.

The First Lady notably enjoyed the company of Vice President James S. Sherman and his wife Carrie; this encouraged a more harmonious working relationship between the President and Vice President, who had earlier found themselves at odds.

One major undertaking of Nellie'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 the 3,020 Japanese cherry trees around the Tidal Basin and on Capitol grounds; with Viscountess Iwa Chinda (the wife of the Japanese ambassador), she personally planted the first two saplings in ceremonies on March 27, 1912.

Also 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

Nellie 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 also influenced appointments during the Taft presidency, providing her thoughts on the character of her husband's nominees. She convinced her husband to recall ambassador Henry White because of a long-standing grudge that she held against him.

Nellie 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.

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.

Later life and death

After leaving the White House, the Tafts moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where William held a chair at Yale University. Nellie wrote her memoir, '' Recollections of Full Years'', which was published in 1914. During the Great War, she provided support for the American Red Cross.

With Taft's appointment to the Supreme Court in 1921, Nellie Taft became the only woman to be both First Lady and wife of a chief justice. She resumed her social activities after returning to Washington D.C.

Prohibition was a major political debate at the time. Nellie Taft was a ''Wet'' (an opponent of the Prohibition movement), so White House guests were entertained with alcohol during her time as First Lady. William Howard Taft opposed Prohibition during his presidency and much of his time as Chief Justice, but was himself a teetotaler and during his last years wrote letters in support of Prohibition's objectives.

Nellie was widowed on March 8, 1930, and stayed in the city of Washington. She continued to be socially involved serving as an honorary vice president of the Colonial Dames of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA. In her final years, Nellie lived with her housekeeper in Washington, D.C., occasionally traveling to other countries. She died in Washington on May 22, 1943, and was buried next to her husband at Arlington National Cemetery.

Legacy

Nellie was the first former first lady to publish her own memoirs, doing so in 1914. Her role as a mentor and guide to her husband was recognized even 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.

References

Further reading

* Fierro, Rafaele. "Helen Herron Taft: The Forgotten Impact of a Memorable First Lady." in ''A Companion to First Ladies'' (2016) pp: 320-338.

* Taft, Helen H
Recollections of Full Years
New York: Dodd, Mead & Co, 1914.

External links

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ANC Explorer


White House biography

Helen Taft
at C-SPAN's '' First Ladies: Influence & Image''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taft, Helen Herron
1861 births
1943 deaths
19th-century American educators
19th-century American women educators
20th-century American women
Burials at Arlington National Cemetery
First Ladies of the United States
Ohio Republicans
People from Cincinnati
Taft family
University of Cincinnati alumni
American expatriates in the Philippines
Washington, D.C., Republicans
20th-century American people