Helen Herron Taft

Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft (June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943) was the wife of William Howard Taft and First Lady of the United States from 1909 to 1913.

Nellie Taft
First Lady of the United States
In role March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913
President	William Taft
Preceded by	Edith Roosevelt
Succeeded by	Ellen Wilson
Personal details
Born	Helen Louise Herron (1861-06-02)June 2, 1861 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	May 22, 1943(1943-05-22) (aged 81) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Spouse(s)	William Taft ​ ​ (m. 1886; died 1930)​
Children	Robert Helen Charles
Education	University of Cincinnati
Signature

Early life

Her parents were Harriet Collins and John W. Herron. She was their fourth child. She spent her childhood in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Marriage

When Herron was 18 years old, she met William Howard Taft. They were married in 1886. William Howard Taft and Helen Herron Taft had three children:

• Robert A. Taft (1889-1953), United States Senator from Ohio
• Helen Taft Manning (1891-1987), Professor at Bryn Mawr College
• Charles Phelps Taft II (1897-1983), mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio.

First Lady

She was a part of her husband’s rise in administration and politics. When her husband became the president, she gave special attention to the social life at the White House. When she suffered from a stroke, her daughter Helen Taft Manning left college for a year to look after the social life at the White House.

During their stay at the White House, the couple celebrated their silver wedding anniversary in 1911. People celebrate a silver anniversary after 25 years of any occasion. She had also written a book named Recollections of Full Years. The book tells about her work and life. Her husband died in 1930. She continued to live in Washington D.C. after the death of her husband. She died on May 22, 1943.

Other websites

• Helen Herron Taft Archived 2004-01-02 at the Wayback Machine White House biography
• Helen Taft at Find-A-Grave