White House Historical Association

Joseph S. C. Taber

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"Joseph S. C. Taber," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/442.
Position
Steward
Years in President's House
1869
Legal Status
Free Person
Gender
Male
Race/Ethnicity
White
Presidency
Ulysses S. Grant
Biography
Joseph S. C. Taber was born in 1843 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.1 During the Civil War, Taber served in the Union Army with Pennsylvania’s 23rd Infantry.2 On April 3, 1869, Taber was appointed steward at the Ulysses Grant White House.3 In this role, Taber greeted the first family and their visitors, oversaw social events, inventoried White House property, and managed public funds.4 Prior to Taber’s appointment, the role had been held by several Black men including William Slade and James L. Thomas, which led to rumors that African-American White House servants had quit over the decision to hire a White steward; this was later disproven.5 Taber’s time at the White House was brief. In December 1869, a new steward named Valentino Melah was appointed. According to a 1932 newspaper interview with Taber’s wife, Mary: “When Grant was President, Mrs.Taber met his steward, Joseph S. Taber. Stewards must be unmarried. Mr. Taber resigned to marry her.”6 The accuracy of this statement is questionable; the Tabers did not actually marry until 1873, and there is no known evidence of a rule regarding the marital status of White House stewards. Nevertheless, Taber left his position and returned to Philadelphia where he worked as a bookkeeper. The Taber family relocated several times in the years that followed, including to Missouri and Texas. Joseph S. C. Taber died on May 19, 1908, and was buried at Paola Cemetery in Paola, Kansas.7
  1. Jos. S. C. Taber in the 1880 United States Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1183; Page: 260b; Enumeration District: 501, Ancestry.com.
  2. Joseph S. C. Taber in the U.S., Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles, 1861-1865, Historical Data Systems, Inc.; Duxbury, MA 02331; American Civil War Research Database, Ancestry.com.
  3. John Y. Simon, "The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, Volume 19: July 1, 1868-October 31, 1869" (1991): 412, https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/usg-volumes/21; “Various Matters,” Portland Press Herald (Maine), April 15, 1869, pg. 2.
  4. Matthew Costello, “The White House Chief Usher,” White House Historical Association, https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-white-house-chief-usher.
  5. “Untitled,” Helena Semi-Weekly Herald (Montana), May 6, 1869, pg. 4; “Unfounded,” National Republican (Washington, D.C.), April 15, 1869, pg. 1; “The White House,” Washington Chronicle, March 9, 1869, pg. 2.
  6. See “Work Before Play at 91: Mrs. Mary E. Taber to Clean House on Her Anniversary,” The Kansas City Times (Missouri), May 9, 1932, pg. 1; Joseph S. C. Taber in the District of Columbia, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1830-1921, Ancestry.com. District of Columbia, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1830-1921 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2014.
  7. Untitled Obituary, The Miami Republican (Kansas), May 29, 1908, pg. 8; Jos. S. C. Taber in the 1880 United States Federal Census, Year: 1880; Census Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Roll: 1183; Page: 260b; Enumeration District: 501; J S C Taber in the 1900 United States Federal Census, Year: 1900; Census Place: Kansas City Ward 10, Jackson, Missouri; Roll: 864; Page: 12; Enumeration District: 0114.
Birthplace
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Paola Cemetery
Related Workers
William Slade
Valets, Lady's Maids, and First Family Attendants, Ushers, Stewards, and Doorkeepers, 1861 – 1868
Valentino Melah
Ushers, Stewards, and Doorkeepers, 1869 – 1871
James L. Thomas
Ushers, Stewards, and Doorkeepers, circa 1868 – 1869