Taft's Bathtub Trouble And The Legend It Became

William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States, is remembered for many things - his leadership, his judicial career, and notably, his size.

Standing over six feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds during his presidency, Taft was one of the heaviest men to occupy the White House. His weight was well known to the public, and while it rarely interfered with his official duties, it did reportedly contribute to one of the most enduring - and unusual - tales in presidential history.

The story goes that Taft once got stuck in a White House bathtub.

According to popular accounts, the incident occurred shortly after he took office. Taft allegedly became wedged in the tub during a bath and had to be helped out by several aides. Some versions of the story claim that it took as many as six men to free him. The image stuck - literally and figuratively.

Whether or not this exact event happened remains a matter of debate. There's no official White House record confirming the incident. But what is certain is that a much larger bathtub was ordered and installed during his presidency. This oversized tub - more than seven feet long and over three feet wide - was large enough to fit four average-sized men. A photograph of the tub, taken before its installation, appeared in newspapers at the time, lending some weight to the story.

Taft himself was good-natured about his size. He reportedly hated being asked how much he weighed, once quipping, "I can answer anything but that." Despite the public's fascination with his physique, he never let it define him. In fact, he was known to be quite active, even enjoying long horseback rides in his younger days.

The bathtub story might be a bit overblown, but it taps into something real - people have always loved the unusual details about their presidents. Whether it happened exactly that way or not, Taft's tub tale lives on as a classic piece of White House folklore.

After leaving office, Taft went on to achieve a lifelong ambition: he became Chief Justice of the United States, the only person to ever hold both that title and the presidency. Yet for many, it's the image of that oversized bathtub that remains lodged in the public imagination.

Filed under: General Knowledge