William Howard Taft (1909-13), who at 330 pounds was too hefty to fit into a standard-sized tub, had a custom tub built for his extra-large frame. After it was manufactured, four men fit inside the tub for a photograph. William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on September 15, 1857, the 27th US president from 1909 to 1913. The heaviest president at 332 pounds, Taft struggled all his adult life with a weight problem. He got stuck in the White House bathtub and had to have an over-sized version brought in for his use.