Top of page

Archive: September 2020 (12 Posts)

Image of an ornate clock showing 2:05 with sculpted male figures sitting on each side of the clock face

The Taft Papers and a Titanic Tragedy

Posted by: Neely Tucker

The William Howard Taft papers are the largest of the Manuscript Division’s 23 presidential collections, comprising approximately 676,000 documents covering his personal life and public career. Among them lies the heartbreaking tale of the death of Maj. Archie Butt, his beloved friend and aide, in the sinking of the Titanic.