William Howard Taft will join the four existing Racing Presidents on Opening Day. Photograph by Flickr user MissChatter.
First of all, this is not an April Fool’s joke. It’s a homage to the Nationals’ newest
Racing President, William Howard Taft, who makes his debut Monday at the opening-day
game against the Miami Marlins. And while this isn’t a joke list, there is one faux
fact included. Let us know which one you think it is in the comments.
When Taft lost the presidency to Woodrow Wilson in 1912, it was the worst defeat
suffered by an incumbent President. He got only eight electoral votes.
Taft is the only US President to also join the Supreme Court. He was Chief Justice,
the nation’s tenth, from 1921 to 1930.
At Yale, he was a member of the secret society Skull and Bones, which was cofounded
by his father.
His religion: Unitarian.
Taft was just shy of six feet tall. During his presidency his weight peaked at about
340 pounds. After leaving office, he lost 80 pounds.
Taft’s weight was always an issue. At Yale his nickname was the “Big Lub,” but he
was also an accomplished wrestler.
He once got stuck in a White House bathtub and had to be pulled out by staff.
When he traveled to the Panama Canal by ship, the captain of the USS North Carolina requested an oversize bathtub for him.
As Chief Justice he had the unique distinction of swearing in presidents Calvin
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, a first for a former President.
Two states were admitted to the Union during his presidency: New Mexico and Arizona.
President Taft appointed six justices to the Supreme Court, the same as appointed
by Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, and just shy of George Washington and Franklin
Roosevelt.
He was a Republican, succeeding Teddy Roosevelt. They were once friends but became
fierce political enemies.
Taft came from a prominent political family in Cincinnati, Ohio, with ties to Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Utah.
The current governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee, is a Taft family descendant.
Taft died on March 8, 1930, five weeks after retiring from the Supreme Court. He
is the first President, and the only President other than JFK, to be buried at Arlington
National Cemetery.
15 Random Facts About William Howard Taft
Fourteen truths and a lie about the Nationals’ newest Racing President.
First of all, this is not an April Fool’s joke. It’s a homage to the Nationals’ newest
Racing President, William Howard Taft, who makes his debut Monday at the opening-day
game against the Miami Marlins. And while this isn’t a joke list, there is one faux
fact included. Let us know which one you think it is in the comments.
suffered by an incumbent President. He got only eight electoral votes.
the nation’s tenth, from 1921 to 1930.
by his father.
340 pounds. After leaving office, he lost 80 pounds.
was also an accomplished wrestler.
North Carolina requested an oversize bathtub for him.
Coolidge and Herbert Hoover, a first for a former President.
by Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln, and just shy of George Washington and Franklin
Roosevelt.
fierce political enemies.
Rhode Island, Vermont, and Utah.
is the first President, and the only President other than JFK, to be buried at Arlington
National Cemetery.
Spot the fake fact? Let us know in the comments.
Most Popular in News & Politics
The Missing Men of Mount Pleasant
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Yet Another Anti-Trump Statue Has Shown Up on the National Mall
8 Takeaways From Usha Vance’s Interview With Meghan McCain
Every Bus Line in DC Is Changing This Weekend. Here’s What to Know.
Washingtonian Magazine
July Issue: The "Best Of" Issue
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Your Story About How Pickleball Changed Your Life Could Get You a Game on the National Mall
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
More from News & Politics
Trump Threatens DC Takeover, Says He’d Run the City “So Good”; Supreme Court OKs Mass Federal Worker Layoffs; and You Should Go Pick Some Sunflowers
Trump Pledges Support for RFK Stadium Plan, Ben’s Chili Bowl Will Strand Us Half-Smokeless for Months, and Pediatricians Are Suing RFK Jr.
Muriel Bowser Defends Her BLM Plaza Decision and Looks Back on a Decade as Mayor
Elon Musk Starts What Is Likely the First Party of His Life, Nationals Fire Longtime Management Team, and Washingtonians Got Carried Away With the Fireworks
Speaker Johnson’s Megabill Prayers Likely to Be Answered Before Holiday Weekend, Wrongly Deported Maryland Man Faced Abuse in El Salvador Prison, and We Found Some Yummy Nepalese Food
Pardoned J6er Will Join Ed Martin’s Justice Department Office, Trump Outlines Hypothetical Alligator Escape Plan, and We Have Fireworks Show Recommendations
The “World’s Largest Outdoor Museum” Is Coming to DC. Here’s a Preview.
A Cult Classic of Cannabis Brands Is Making Its DC Debut