Taft’s Billy Possum vs. Roosevelt’s Teddy Bear
In 1909 Taft had a serious toy problem. After T.R.’s presidency the Teddy Bear kept selling like Hotcakes. The bear’s popularity was a stark reminder of Roosevelt’s ongoing celebrity. Taft supporters wanted the bear dead. The problem was no one could find a suitable replacement. Taft wasn’t a Big Game Hunter; he was a golfer who liked to eat.
All that changed when Taft’s appetite came to the rescue. It happened at a 1909 banquet in Atlanta, Georgia. Not seeing anything on the menu he liked Taft thought he’d try a plate of Possum and Taters. Taft loved possum. He ate possum so fast a doctor at the table told him to slow down before he got sick.
The next day the Georgia Billy Possum Company was born. They intended to replace the Roosevelt bear with the Taft possum. In the beginning Billy Possum was made from real possum skins. It looked more like a rat than a toy. They replaced the hide with a fabric version they were sure would “take off.” Taft's press corps went as far as writing drawing cartoons and writing articles and essays on Billy Possum.
People began mailing live possums to the White House. After a year Taft supporters gave up on Billy Possum. It was doomed from the start. Roosevelt saved the bear. Taft ate the possum.
