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Helen Taft Facts & Worksheets

Helen Louise Herron Taft, nicknamed “Nellie,” was the wife of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States.

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Helen Louise Herron Taft, nicknamed “Nellie,” was the wife of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States. Helen Taft served as the 27th First Lady of the United States from 1909 to 1913.

See the fact file below for more information on the Helen Taft or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Helen Taft worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Helen Herron Taft was First Lady of the United States from March 4, 1909, until March 4, 1913.
  • As First Lady of the United States, Helen Herron Taft was preceded by Edith Roosevelt and succeeded by Ellen Wilson.
  • She was born as Helen Louise Heron, on June 2, 1861, in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
  • Helen Herron Taft graduated from the University of Cincinnati.
  • Helen Herron and William Taft married in 1886.
  • Helen and William Taft had three children: Robert A. Taft, Helen Taft Manning, and Charles Phelps Taft II.
  • Helen Herron Taft died on May 22, 1943, at the age of 81, in Washington D.C., U.S.
  • She was buried in the Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia.

FAMILY

  • Helen Louise Herron had nine siblings; seven sisters and two brothers.
    • Emily Herron Parsons (1856-1931)
    • Unnamed infant sister (1857)
    • Jane “Jennie” Herron Anderson (1858-1930)
    • Another unnamed infant sister (1860)
    • Maria Herron (1864-1954)
    • William C. Herron (1864-1922)
    • John W. Herron (1870-1949)
    • Eleanor Herron More (1874-1931)
    • Lucy Herron Laughlin Lippjtt (1879-1961)
  • She was the fifth among the ten children of Harriet Collins Herron and John Williamson Herron.
  • John Williamson Herron (May 10, 1827 – August 4, 1912) was a lawyer, district attorney, and a Miami University board of trustees chairman.
  • Helen’s father was a colleague of future presidents, a law partner of Rutherford Hayes, and a fellow college student of Benjamin Harrison.
  • He did not manage to pursue political aspiration due to a need to earn a constant salary to support his family.
  • Harriet Collins Herron (September 15, 1833 – January 3, 9101) came from a prominent family as her father and brother were U.S. Congressmen.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

  • Helen Herron attended the Miss Nourse School in Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1866 until 1879.
  • This is where she took primary education from age six to ten, enrolled in the “primary department.”
  • Aside from basic literacy and arithmetic, Helen also took weekly lessons in history, mythology, and elemental science.
  • Nellie developed her passion for music in the Miss Nourse School.
  • Nellie entered the school’s “high department” at the age of eleven and received additional lessons on English Literature, Natural Sciences, French, German, Latin, and Greek.
  • Helen Herron enrolled at the University of Cincinnati in 1881.
  • Here, she enrolled in two classes in autumn to study German and chemistry.

BEFORE MARRIAGE

  • Nellie worked as a private school teacher after finishing her studies.
  • She taught French, as a substitute teacher, at Madame Fredin’s School in spring, 1882.
  • In the fall of 1882 and spring or 1883 she taught regularly at the White-Sykes School for Boys in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • The Herron Family were invited to a White House visit by President Hayes in 1877. Here, she developed the aspiration to be a president’s wife.

COURTSHIP & MARRIAGE

  • Helen Louise “Nellie” Herron was married to William Howard Taft on June 19, 1886.
  • Helen and William met at a bobsledding party in Cincinnati in 1879.
  • William asked Helen out for the first time in February of 1880.
  • They began going out regularly in 1882.
  • William proposed in April 1885 and Helen said yes.

MARRIED LIFE

  • Nellie volunteered as a kindergarten teacher from 1887 until 1888.
  • Nellie helped in founding the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and she was elected president from 1893 until 1900.
  • William Taft served as Solicitor-General in 1890; Nellie helped him to forward his political career.
  • William was offered to serve as Federal Circuit Court Judge from 1892 to 1900.
  • William Taft was offered by President McKinley to be Governor-General of the Philippine Islands. Nellie urged her husband to accept and they moved to Manila where they stayed for 1900-1903.
  • Nellie started a nutritional program for infants in the Philippines.
  • She urged her husband to accept the offer to be President Roosevelt’s War Secretary from 1904 until 1909.
  • They relocated to Washington and Nellie focused on securing the President’s support for William.

AS FIRST LADY

  • Nellie replaced white-male ushers who greeted White House visitors with African-American ushers in uniform; considered a positive change for the African-American people.
  • The greatest social event she organized was their Silver Wedding Anniversary in June 1910, which many prominent people attended.
  • Nellie widened the variety of people who could attend White House events.
  • She led the development of the West Potomac Park, a park surrounded with Japanese Cherry Blossom trees. Nellie had been inspired by the Philippine’s Luneta Park.
  • She introduced musical entertainment after state dinners, which became a White House tradition.
  • She paved the way for a more harmonious working relationship between the President and Vice President. She enjoyed the company of Vice President James Sherman and his wife Carrie.

OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS

  • After losing the re-election to Woodrow Wilson, the Tafts returned to Cincinnati. There she wrote Recollections of Full Years, which was published in 1914.
  • She provided support for the American Red Cross during the Great War.
  • She also served as an Honorary Vice President of the Colonial Dames of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

DEATH

  • Nellie died in Washington, D.C. on May 22, 1943, and was buried next to the president at Arlington National Cemetery.
  • Nellie Taft was remembered as the first First Lady to publish her memoirs, the first First Lady to own and drive a car, the first First Lady to support women’s suffrage, the first First Lady to smoke cigarettes, and the first First Lady to successfully lobby for safety standards in federal workplaces.

Helen Taft Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Helen Taft across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Helen Taft worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Helen Louise Herron Taft, nicknamed “Nellie,” who was the wife of William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States. Helen Taft served as the 27th First Lady of the United States from 1909 to 1913.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Helen Taft Facts
  • Helen’s Biography
  • Event Sequencing
  • First First Lady
  • President Taft
  • First Lady Duties
  • Picture Narrative
  • Cartoon Analysis
  • Comparing First Ladies
  • Describe to Subscribe
  • Dear Mrs. Taft

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Use With Any Curriculum

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