Help! I am stuck in the bathtub...

President William Taft 

(1909-1913)

Rub-a-Dub-Dub...
Four workers posing for picture
after installing President Taft's new tub.  

I recently participated in a President's Day Cookie Collaboration, and by the luck of the draw, I got assigned President William Taft.  (I got President George W. Bush too, but that is a different story.)  I was very excited because I already knew what I wanted to do for President Taft, a bathtub cookie!

However, the more I researched the more I felt compelled to do more than pick on President Taft for his large size (he weighed more than 350 lbs.) and the fact that he once got stuck in the bathtub at the White House.

President Taft followed President Teddy Roosevelt into office.  There was a joke at the time that TAFT stood for "Take Advice From Teddy."  But once in office, President Taft held his own. 

Although my daughter and I agree that he looks a bit like the Monopoly man... Taft was actually very anti-monopoly, signing over 80 anti-trust suits while in office.  

He was an avid horseman and rode his horse everyday.

  

He also enjoyed watching baseball.  He was the one who started the tradition of the "First Pitch" and the "Seventh Inning Stretch."

(This image is used with permission from a very talented Artist Jason Pruett and copied from his book Fingerprint Presidents of the United States of America.  Please read below for more details.)

Following his presidency, he taught Law at his alma mater, Yale University. (Yes, he looks a little like their mascot too...)

But, most notably,  he served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1921-1930.  He is the only person in our country's history to have ever served as the head of two branches of our government.

Unfortunately, all we can remember is that bathtub! ;^)

As I mentioned, I had a great time working on this project.  All of these cookies are hand-painted with food coloring.  The image of Taft and the Seventh Inning Stretch is used with permission from artist Jason Pruett and copied from his book 

Fingerprint Presidents of the United States of America.  It includes a fun image and a short poem about each president which is helpful in remembering who they are and what their contributions were.    It also comes in a 13 X 19 poster, which would be a great gift for a teacher!  Thank you Jason!

(I re-purposed his head for my bathtub cookie.  I couldn't help myself, it was perfect!  It is amazing how yawning and screaming look so much alike!)

2013 President's Day Cookie Collaboration

AND a huge "Thank You" to Anne Yorks of The Flour Box Bakery for organizing this fun and educational cookie collaboration!  Be sure to visit her blog where she has links to all the cookies and their artists AND interesting tidbits on each of the presidents!

To see a full list of the cookie bakers involved read my post "Hail to the Chief..."

Happy President's Day!
Sarah