William Howard Taft Wishes Success to a Candidate for Congress from Connecticut, with an Uncommon 48 Word Holograph Postscript: William Howard Taft is the only man to serve as President of the United States and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. In between these positions, he kept his hand in politics.

Typed Letter Signed, on his personal letterhead, New Haven, October 23, 1917, to C. Milton Fessenden of Stamford. “I have your letter of October 22nd, and regret I shall be unable to come to Stamford on November 5th, to speak in behalf of Mr. [Schuyler] Merritt, for the reason that I shall be on a speaking trip in the West at that time, from which I will not return until November 10th. Thanking you for the compliment of the invitation, and with best wishes for the success of your campaign, believe me.” There is a long postscript in Taft’s hand reading: “The above was prepared for me by my secretary. I would much like to help elect Mr. Merritt to Congress but what with university work, speaking engagements, Liberty Train, Y.M.C.A. and Red Cross, the short notice prevents my doing so. I sincerely hope Mr. Merritt will be elected.”

Charles Milton Fessenden was a noted lawyer and a member of the Connecticut Republican Committee. Schuyler Merritt was indeed elected to the U.S. Congress that November, serving from November 6 to March 3, 1931 and again from 1933-1937. Merritt was recognized in 1951 and 1952 as the oldest living Yale graduate and the sole survivor of the class of 1873. In 1935, Yale conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws on him.