Nan Britton
| Nan Britton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Nanna Popham Britton November 9, 1896 Marion, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | March 21, 1991 (aged 94) Sandy, Oregon, U.S. |
| Occupation | Secretary |
| Children | Elizabeth Blaesing |
Nanna Popham "Nan" Britton (November 9, 1896 – March 21, 1991) was an American secretary who was the mistress of Warren G. Harding, the 29th President of the United States. In 1928, she revealed that her daughter, Elizabeth, had been fathered by Harding while he was serving in the United States Senate, one year before he was elected to the presidency. Her claim was open to question during her life, but was confirmed by DNA testing in 2015.
Born in Marion, Ohio, Britton developed an obsession with Harding, who was a friend of her father. As a young girl, her bedroom walls were covered with Harding's pictures from local papers and magazines. While not even 16 years old, she would loiter near his Marion Daily Star building in Marion, hoping to see him on his walk home from work.
Nan's father, Dr. Samuel H. Britton, spoke to Harding about his daughter's infatuation, and Harding met with her, claiming he told her that some day she would find the man of her dreams. At the time, Harding was already involved in a passionate affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips, wife of James Phillips, co-owner of a local department store. After she graduated from high school in 1914, Britton moved to New York City, to begin a career as a secretary. However, she claimed she also began an intimate relationship with Harding.
Following Harding's death, Britton wrote what is considered to be the first kiss-and-tell book. In The President's Daughter, published in 1928, she claimed she had been Harding's mistress all during his presidency, naming him as the father of her daughter, Elizabeth Ann (1919–2005). One famous passage told of their making love in a coat closet in the executive office of the White House.
According to Britton, Harding had promised to support their daughter, but after his sudden death in 1923, his wife refused to honor the obligation. Britton insisted she wrote the book to earn money to support her daughter and to champion the rights of illegitimate children. She brought a lawsuit (Britton v. Klunk), but she was unable to provide any concrete evidence and was shaken by the vicious personal attacks made by Congressman Grant Mouser during the cross examination, which cost her the case.
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