Helen Taft

 


Helen Taft was not only the wife of President William Howard Taft but also a prominent figure in American politics in her own right. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1861, she was the fourth of 11 children and came from a family deeply involved in Republican Party activism. Helen played a crucial role in her husband's political career, encouraging him to accept various appointments that eventually led to his presidency.

Despite facing a health crisis in 1909 that limited her public appearances, Helen continued to support her husband and even made significant contributions to the beautification of Washington, D.C. by overseeing the planting of cherry trees throughout the city.

After William Taft's presidency, Helen wrote her autobiography and the couple moved to New Haven, Connecticut, where William taught at Yale Law School before becoming the Chief Justice of the United States. Helen passed away in 1943 and was buried alongside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery, making them the first presidential couple to be interred there.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts from Pheonix University in Business Management, then a degree in Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Phoenix University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology, her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. In her spare time, Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, pen and ink, Gouache, and pastels. As a political operative having worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 6 blogs that range from art to life coaching, to food, to writing, and opinion or history pieces each week.  

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