William Howard Taft
Who was William Howard Taft?
27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913 (1857–1930)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on William Howard Taft (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio, into a family deeply involved in law and public service. His father, Alphonso Taft, served as Secretary of War and Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant, encouraging a tradition of civic engagement that shaped William's entire career. Growing up in a household that valued education and legal scholarship, Taft was an academic standout from a young age. He graduated from Yale College in 1878 and earned his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1880. In 1886, he married Helen Herron, who would be a strong partner and influential force throughout his career.
Taft's legal career started in Cincinnati, where he worked as a prosecutor, known for his integrity and careful judicial reasoning. He served as a judge on the Ohio Superior Court and was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1892, a role he truly enjoyed and later considered more suited to his nature than political office. President William McKinley appointed him head of the Philippine Commission in 1900, and he later served as the first civilian Governor-General of the Philippines, where he focused on building civil institutions and infrastructure. His work in the Philippines impressed President Theodore Roosevelt, who made him Secretary of War in 1904.
As Secretary of War, Taft handled various issues as a troubleshooter and diplomat, negotiating agreements in Cuba, overseeing the Panama Canal project, and undertaking missions across Asia. Roosevelt prepared Taft as his successor, and with Roosevelt's support, Taft won the 1908 presidential election against Democrat William Jennings Bryan. He became the 27th President of the United States on March 4, 1909. During his term, he pursued antitrust cases more vigorously than Roosevelt, filing more lawsuits against monopolistic corporations in one term than Roosevelt did in nearly two. He also supported the Sixteenth Amendment, allowing a federal income tax, and the Seventeenth Amendment, for direct election of senators.
Despite legislative successes, Taft's presidency was marked by tensions with the progressive wing of the Republican Party and with Roosevelt himself. His management of conservation policy and tariff reform upset many reformers, leading to Roosevelt challenging him for the 1912 Republican nomination. When Taft secured the nomination, Roosevelt ran as the Progressive Party candidate, splitting the Republican vote and enabling Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the presidency. Taft accepted the defeat with grace and went on to teach constitutional law at Yale University, a job he found very satisfying.
In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft as Chief Justice of the United States, fulfilling what he saw as his greatest ambition. He served as Chief Justice until shortly before his death, working to update the federal judiciary, successfully lobbying for a permanent Supreme Court building, and writing many important opinions. He resigned in February 1930 due to declining health and passed away on March 8, 1930, in Washington, D.C. He remains the only person in American history to have been both President and Chief Justice of the United States.
Before Fame
William Howard Taft grew up in Cincinnati after the Civil War, at a time when Ohio was a hub for Republican political activity and legal circles. His father Alphonso's influence in both law and politics gave young Taft an early look at how government works and the esteem held for the judiciary. He went to public schools in Cincinnati before getting into Yale College, where he graduated second in his class in 1878.
After returning to Cincinnati to study law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Taft was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1880. He quickly got a job as a law reporter for a Cincinnati newspaper and then as an assistant prosecutor for Hamilton County. Known for his hard work and good legal sense, he was appointed as a judge on the Ohio Superior Court at age thirty. This marked the beginning of a public service career that would lead him to the top positions in American law and politics.
Key Achievements
- Served as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 to 1913
- Appointed Chief Justice of the United States in 1921, serving until 1930
- Championed the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments to the Constitution during his presidency
- Served as the first civilian Governor-General of the Philippines, establishing civil governance in the territory
- Modernized the federal court system as Chief Justice and secured congressional support for a permanent Supreme Court building
Did You Know?
- 01.Taft is the only person in United States history to have served as both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- 02.He lobbied extensively and successfully for the construction of a dedicated Supreme Court building, though it was not completed until 1935, five years after his death.
- 03.Taft filed 90 antitrust suits during his single presidential term, compared to 44 filed during Theodore Roosevelt's nearly two terms, despite Roosevelt holding the reputation as the great trust-buster.
- 04.He reportedly disliked the presidency intensely and considered his appointment as Chief Justice in 1921 the realization of his true ambition, stating it was the greatest honor of his life.
- 05.During his time as Governor-General of the Philippines, Taft referred to Filipinos paternalistically as 'our little brown brothers,' a phrase that became widely repeated and later criticized as emblematic of American colonial attitudes.