Some speculate that President Taft selected White as a result of his advanced age (67) because Taft himself hoped to be appointed to the Supreme Court in the future. This theory posits that Taft did not appoint the other contender for the position, future Supreme Court justice Charles Evans Hughes, because he was much younger. Others believe Taft selected White primarily because he was from the South and was a Catholic, factors that Taft may have thought would help him in his reelection bid.