The Billy Possum Craze (1909)
Taft and his people try to do for possums what Roosevelt did for bears
This Day (An America 250 History Show)
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Show Notes
It’s January 24th. This day in 1909, the administration of William Howard Taft has gone completely possum crazy — and is desperately trying to make “Billy Possum” a mascot along the lines of the Teddy Bear.
Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Taft was so infatuated with the possum, and the key differences between the origin stories of the Teddy Bear and Billy Possum marketing campaigns.
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