mrswilliamhowardtaft

She was Harriet T., married to Norman E. Mack (1858-1932) who was the publisher of the Buffalo Times was National Chairman of the Democratic Party Helen Herron, was of course married to William Taft Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Herron_Taft

And this was taken at the Democratic National Convention of 1912 outside Baltimore's Fifth Regiment Armory. See adjacent photograph www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/3239319120/in/p... The man at right of frame in this photograph is wearing much the same convention regalia on his chest as is being worn by Justus Goebel in the linked photograph.

Thanks! We'll add to the source data and reload the description.

Harriet T. Mack is also here: and here:

One wonders what Mrs. William Howard Taft -- first lady, wife of the Republican President of the U. S. -- was doing at the Democratic National Convention? Okay, I found the answer in this paragraph from her bio as first lady: "In July 1912, Nellie Taft again broke precedent when she attended the National Democratic Convention in Baltimore, becoming not only the first incumbent First Lady to attend a convention, but the only one to ever attend that of the opposition party. Although Taft was defeated by Democrat Woodrow Wilson, it was a partial success to Nellie Taft: her ambition as Election Day neared was to see Roosevelt defeated. The day before she left the White House, Nellie Taft's genuine view on suffrage made itself known: she ascended to a prominent place on a grandstand to review a parade of suffragists and encourage their demand of the incoming president to support a woman's right to vote." Here's another photo by Bain of the same group:

WOW!!! Look at the hat on Mrs. Taft!!

From the same event:

LOC -- you have Mrs. Mack's husband's initial wrong. It is "N" for Norman, Mack. Norman Mack was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and presided over the 1912 convention in Baltimore.

One wonders what Mrs. William Howard Taft -- first lady, wife of the Republican President of the U. S. -- was doing at the Democratic National Convention? Okay, I found the answer in this paragraph from her bio as first lady: "In July 1912, Nellie Taft again broke precedent when she attended the National Democratic Convention in Baltimore, becoming not only the first incumbent First Lady to attend a convention, but the only one to ever attend that of the opposition party. Although Taft was defeated by Democrat Woodrow Wilson, it was a partial success to Nellie Taft: her ambition as Election Day neared was to see Roosevelt defeated. The day before she left the White House, Nellie Taft's genuine view on suffrage made itself known: she ascended to a prominent place on a grandstand to review a parade of suffragists and encourage their demand of the incoming president to support a woman's right to vote."

Nellie Taft had suffered a stroke in 1909, and had to overcome aphasia, learning to speak all over again.