We're going to assume that this was a Robert Taft button. It is not a button for his son, Robert Taft, Jr., who served in Congress. It is not a button for his grandson, Bob Taft, who would become an Ohio governor.
Robert Taft was an Ohio senator, anti-New Dealer and a presidential hopeful in 1940, 1948 and 1952. Taft was a strong candidate early in 1940, but lost much of his support as the war in Europe went badly. He was an isolationist and Wendell Willkie would win the nomination. In 1948 Taft was defeated by Gov. George Dewey in the primary campaign. His strongest race was in 1952, but the race changed when war hero Dwight Eisenhower stepped in.
Taft and Eisenhower battled it out at the Republican convention and Ike won a contentious race. Ultimately the two agreed on most domestic policies, but Taft remained an isolationist which was one of the general's motivations for entering the election.
Ultimately Taft and Eisenhower would become friends. Taft emerged as the Senate Majority Leader and was later recognized as one of the most historically powerful members of the senate.
He was diagnosed with cancer in early 1953 and died later that same year in New York after a brain hemorrhage. He was 63.
Unless, of course, this button belonged to his father, President William Howard Taft. If that's the case this button collection just got a lot older, and a lot more interesting. But, then, there have been an awful lot of politicians in the Taft family.
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