Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era
Oct 2009 · Harper Collins
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562
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About this ebook
"The first biography of . . . Helen "Nellie" Herron Taft, proves certain that she has fallen into the netherworld of . . . [first ladies] deserving more credit." — Cincinnati Enquirer
On the morning of William Howard Taft's inauguration, Nellie Taft publicly expressed that theirs would be a joint presidency by shattering precedent and demanding that she ride alongside her husband down Pennsylvania Avenue, a tradition previously held for the outgoing president. In an era before Eleanor Roosevelt, this progressive First Lady was an advocate for higher education and partial suffrage for women, and initiated legislation to improve working conditions for federal employees. She smoked, drank, and gambled without regard to societal judgment, and she freely broke racial and class boundaries.
Drawing from previously unpublished diaries, a lifetime of love letters between Will and Nellie, and detailed family correspondence and recollections, critically acclaimed presidential family historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony develops a riveting portrait of Nellie Taft as one of the strongest links in the series of women—from Abigail Adams to Hillary Rodham Clinton -- often critically declared "copresidents."
"A pleasing biography. . . . Anthony paints a vivid portrait." — Kirkus Reviews
On the morning of William Howard Taft's inauguration, Nellie Taft publicly expressed that theirs would be a joint presidency by shattering precedent and demanding that she ride alongside her husband down Pennsylvania Avenue, a tradition previously held for the outgoing president. In an era before Eleanor Roosevelt, this progressive First Lady was an advocate for higher education and partial suffrage for women, and initiated legislation to improve working conditions for federal employees. She smoked, drank, and gambled without regard to societal judgment, and she freely broke racial and class boundaries.
Drawing from previously unpublished diaries, a lifetime of love letters between Will and Nellie, and detailed family correspondence and recollections, critically acclaimed presidential family historian Carl Sferrazza Anthony develops a riveting portrait of Nellie Taft as one of the strongest links in the series of women—from Abigail Adams to Hillary Rodham Clinton -- often critically declared "copresidents."
"A pleasing biography. . . . Anthony paints a vivid portrait." — Kirkus Reviews
"The first biography of . . . Helen "Nellie" Herron Taft, proves certain that she has fallen into the netherworld of . . . [first ladies] deserving more credit." — Cincinnati Enquirer
On the morning of William Howard Taft's inauguration, Nellie Taft publicly expressed that theirs would be a join...
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About the author
Carl Sferrazza Anthony, the author of nine books, is considered the nation's expert on the subject of presidential wives and families. He has written extensively for publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, American Heritage, Smithsonian, and Town & Country, and also writes screenplays. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Carl Sferrazza Anthony, the author of nine books, is considered the nation's expert on the subject of presidential wives and families. He has written extensively for publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, American Heritage, Smithsonian, and To...
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