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.

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  White House biography
 Helen Taft at Find-A-Grave

Category:William Howard Taft
Category:First Ladies of the United States
Category:People from Cincinnati

Category:1861 births
Category:1943 deaths