William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft
Born	William Howard Taft 15 9, 1857
Birthplace	Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, jurist, legal scholar
Known for	27th President of the United States; 10th Chief Justice of the United States; only person to hold both offices
Education	Yale College (B.A.); Cincinnati Law School (LL.B.)
Spouse(s)	Helen Herron Taft
Children	3
Awards	Chief Justice of the United States

William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was an American politician, jurist, and legal scholar who served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and as the 10th Chief Justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He remains the only person in American history to have held both of the nation's highest executive and judicial offices. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, into a family already prominent in Republican politics — his father, Alphonso Taft, had served as U.S. attorney general and secretary of war — Taft rose through the judiciary and the federal bureaucracy with unusual speed, serving as a federal judge, solicitor general, civilian governor of the Philippines, and secretary of war before reaching the presidency. His single term in the White House was marked by tariff controversies, an interventionist foreign policy in Latin America and East Asia, and a bitter rupture with his former patron, Theodore Roosevelt, that split the Republican Party and delivered the 1912 election to Woodrow Wilson. After leaving the presidency, Taft spent eight years as a professor of constitutional law at Yale before achieving what he had long considered his true ambition: appointment as chief justice. He died in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 1930, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, the first president and the first Supreme Court justice interred there.

Early Life

William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Alphonso Taft and Louisa Maria Torrey. The Taft family occupied a position of considerable standing in Ohio's political and legal circles. Alphonso Taft had served as U.S. secretary of war and U.S. attorney general under President Ulysses S. Grant, and later held diplomatic posts as minister to Austria-Hungary and to Russia. The family's roots in public service established expectations that would shape the younger Taft's career.

Cincinnati in the mid-nineteenth century was a growing commercial hub, and the Taft household reflected the city's upper-middle-class Protestant culture. William was raised alongside several siblings in an environment that placed high value on education, civic duty, and the law. His father's career provided the young Taft with early exposure to the workings of the federal government and the judiciary, and the family's connections within the Republican Party would prove instrumental throughout his life.

From an early age, Taft demonstrated academic ability and a temperament suited to the law. He was known as a diligent and affable student. Though physically large even in youth — a trait that would become a defining feature of his public image — Taft was active and participated in sports during his school years. His upbringing in Cincinnati instilled in him a lifelong attachment to the city, which would later honor him with a national historic site at his birthplace.

Education

Taft attended Woodward High School in Cincinnati before enrolling at Yale College, where he excelled academically, graduating second in his class in 1878. At Yale, he joined the Skull and Bones secret society, of which his father, Alphonso Taft, had been a founding member. The society would count among its members numerous future leaders in politics, business, and the professions, and Taft's membership connected him to a network that proved useful throughout his career.

After completing his undergraduate studies at Yale, Taft returned to Ohio and enrolled at the Cincinnati Law School, where he earned his law degree (LL.B.) in 1880. He was admitted to the Ohio bar and began his legal career in Cincinnati. His legal education, combined with the political connections inherited from his father, positioned Taft for an unusually rapid ascent in the judiciary and in public life.

Career

Early Legal and Judicial Career

Taft's career in the law began immediately after his admission to the bar in 1880. He served briefly as an assistant prosecutor in Hamilton County, Ohio, and held several local and state appointments. His rise through the judicial ranks was swift: while still in his twenties, Taft was appointed to a judgeship, an achievement that reflected both his legal abilities and the influence of his family's political connections.

In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison appointed Taft as solicitor general of the United States, making him, at age 32, the youngest person to have held that office at the time. In this role, Taft argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and gained experience in constitutional and federal law that would inform his later career on the bench and in the executive branch.

In 1892, Taft was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, where he served as a federal circuit judge for eight years. His tenure on the Sixth Circuit established his reputation as a careful and competent jurist. Throughout this period, Taft harbored a deep personal ambition to serve on the Supreme Court — an ambition he would repeatedly defer in favor of other assignments deemed more pressing by the presidents he served.

Governor of the Philippines

In 1901, President William McKinley appointed Taft as the civilian governor of the Philippines, which the United States had acquired following the Spanish-American War. Taft accepted the post reluctantly, having preferred a judicial appointment, but he approached his duties with diligence. As governor, he oversaw the establishment of civil government in the islands, the construction of infrastructure, and efforts to improve public education and health.

Taft's time in the Philippines shaped his views on American imperialism and colonial governance. He expressed paternalistic concern for the Filipino people and opposed calls from some American officials for harsher policies. During this period, he turned down repeated offers from President Roosevelt to join the Supreme Court, believing his work in the Philippines was not yet complete and that his departure would harm the islands' progress toward stable self-governance.

Secretary of War

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft as United States Secretary of War. In this capacity, Taft served as one of Roosevelt's closest advisors and most trusted lieutenants. His responsibilities extended beyond the War Department; he supervised the construction of the Panama Canal, managed American affairs in the Philippines, and undertook diplomatic missions in East Asia and Cuba.

Roosevelt came to view Taft as his natural successor, and by 1907, it was widely understood within the Republican Party that Roosevelt intended Taft to follow him into the presidency. Taft's wife, Helen Herron Taft, encouraged his political ambitions, and despite his private preference for the Supreme Court, Taft accepted the mantle of Roosevelt's chosen heir.

Presidency (1909–1913)

Election of 1908

With Roosevelt's active support, Taft secured the Republican presidential nomination in 1908 with little opposition. In the general election, he faced the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan, who was making his third bid for the presidency. Taft won decisively, carrying a majority of states and electoral votes.

Domestic Policy

Taft's presidency was shaped in large part by the politics of the tariff and the growing tension between the conservative and progressive factions of the Republican Party. He entered office pledging to reduce trade tariffs, which at the time constituted a major source of federal revenue. The resulting legislation, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909, was heavily influenced by protectionist interests in Congress, and the final bill satisfied neither progressives nor committed free-traders. Taft's public defense of the act damaged his standing with reformers within his own party.

On antitrust policy, the Taft administration was active, filing more antitrust suits than Roosevelt's had. Notably, the administration pursued cases against major corporations, including Standard Oil and the American Tobacco Company. Ironically, these prosecutions contributed to the growing rift between Taft and Roosevelt, particularly when the Taft Justice Department filed suit against U.S. Steel over an acquisition that Roosevelt had previously approved.

Taft also sought to modernize the federal government's administrative practices. He established the Commission on Economy and Efficiency in 1910, which represented one of the earliest systematic efforts to study and improve the operations of the executive branch. The commission's work included the first proposal for a unified federal budget, an idea that was not fully adopted until the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921.

A further controversy arose over conservation policy. The Ballinger-Pinchot affair, in which Taft's Secretary of the Interior Richard Ballinger was accused of favoring private interests over conservation — accusations championed by Gifford Pinchot, Roosevelt's former chief forester — deepened the division between Taft and the progressive wing of the party. Taft sided with Ballinger and dismissed Pinchot, a decision that infuriated Roosevelt and his supporters.

Foreign Policy

Taft's foreign policy, sometimes characterized as "Dollar Diplomacy," emphasized the use of American economic power to advance U.S. interests abroad, particularly in Latin America and East Asia. His administration repeatedly intervened in the affairs of Latin American nations, supporting or removing governments to protect American commercial and strategic interests. In East Asia, Taft sought to expand American trade and investment, particularly in China, through multilateral financial arrangements.

This approach drew criticism from progressives, who viewed it as an extension of corporate interests, and from anti-imperialists, who opposed American intervention in the sovereignty of other nations. Taft's foreign policy received less public attention than his domestic struggles but represented a significant element of his presidency.

The 1912 Election

The 1912 presidential election proved to be the defining political event of Taft's career. Theodore Roosevelt, increasingly dissatisfied with what he saw as Taft's conservatism and his abandonment of progressive principles, challenged the incumbent for the Republican nomination. The contest between the two former allies was acrimonious. Taft used his control of the party apparatus and the support of party regulars to secure a bare majority of delegates at the Republican National Convention in Chicago.

Roosevelt and his supporters, alleging that the nomination had been stolen through procedural manipulation, bolted the Republican Party and formed the Progressive Party, popularly known as the "Bull Moose Party." The resulting three-way race between Taft, Roosevelt, and Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson ensured a divided opposition. Taft finished third in the electoral vote, carrying only Utah and Vermont, the worst showing by an incumbent president seeking reelection. Wilson won the presidency with a plurality of the popular vote.

The 1912 election marked the end of Taft's career in elective politics but did not end his public service. The rupture with Roosevelt, which had caused both men considerable personal pain, would only be partially healed in later years.

Post-Presidency: Yale and the League to Enforce Peace

After leaving the White House in March 1913, Taft accepted a position as Kent Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale University, where he taught from 1913 to 1921. His return to academic life allowed him to engage with legal scholarship and to maintain a public voice on political matters.

During World War I, Taft became a leading advocate for international cooperation to prevent future conflicts. He served as president of the League to Enforce Peace, an organization that promoted the idea of a league of nations empowered to arbitrate international disputes and, if necessary, to enforce its decisions. This work anticipated the creation of the League of Nations after the war, though the version ultimately established by the Treaty of Versailles differed from Taft's vision in several respects.

Taft's years at Yale were productive and allowed him to contribute to legal education while remaining engaged in national debates over foreign policy and the structure of international institutions. His advocacy for collective security reflected a pragmatic internationalism that distinguished him from both isolationists and more radical internationalists.

Chief Justice of the United States (1921–1930)

In 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft as Chief Justice of the United States, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. Taft had openly expressed his desire for the position for decades, and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate with broad support.

As chief justice, Taft was an effective administrator of the federal judiciary. He lobbied Congress for the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the Supreme Court greater discretion over its docket by expanding the use of writs of certiorari, thereby allowing the Court to focus on cases of national importance. He was also instrumental in securing the construction of a dedicated Supreme Court building, though the building was not completed until after his death.

On the bench, Taft was generally conservative on business and economic issues, often siding with property rights and opposing expansive interpretations of federal regulatory authority. However, the Taft Court also produced decisions that advanced individual rights in certain areas. Taft authored several notable opinions and worked to build consensus among the justices, using his political skills to manage the Court's internal dynamics.

Taft's health declined throughout the late 1920s. He suffered from cardiovascular problems and his weight, which had been a subject of public commentary throughout his career, contributed to his medical difficulties. In February 1930, in failing health, he resigned as chief justice. He died on March 8, 1930, in Washington, D.C.

Personal Life

William Howard Taft married Helen "Nellie" Herron on June 19, 1886. Helen Herron Taft was an ambitious and politically astute woman who played a significant role in her husband's career decisions, including his pursuit of the presidency over the Supreme Court appointment he privately preferred. The couple had three children: Robert Alphonso Taft, who became a prominent U.S. senator from Ohio; Helen Taft Manning, who served as dean of Bryn Mawr College; and Charles Phelps Taft II, who became mayor of Cincinnati.

Taft's physical stature was one of the most remarked-upon aspects of his public persona. He was the largest president by weight, reportedly reaching over 330 pounds during his time in the White House. A popular legend holds that Taft once became stuck in the White House bathtub, though this story is unsubstantiated and has been disputed by historians.

Taft's dietary habits attracted attention both during and after his lifetime. According to accounts from his household staff, he favored hearty meals, with steak reportedly among his preferred breakfast foods.

Taft was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, becoming the first president and first Supreme Court justice to be interred there. His gravesite remains a notable landmark in the cemetery.

Recognition

Taft received recognition for his service in all three branches of the federal government — executive, judicial, and as an advocate for legislative reform of the judiciary. His unique distinction as the only person to serve as both president and chief justice has ensured his continued prominence in American historical memory.

The William Howard Taft National Historic Site, located at his birthplace in Cincinnati, Ohio, is administered by the National Park Service and is open to the public. The site preserves the house where Taft was born and grew up and offers educational programs about his life and career.

In historians' rankings of U.S. presidents, Taft is generally placed near the middle, reflecting assessments that credit his legal acumen and judicial contributions while noting the political difficulties of his presidency. In recent evaluations, commentators have drawn attention to aspects of Taft's presidency that resonate with contemporary debates, including his efforts to improve government efficiency through systematic study rather than wholesale reduction of government functions.

A 2026 essay in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cited Taft as a president worth revisiting, praising his combination of progressive and conservative instincts and suggesting that his approach to governance offered lessons for the present day.

Legacy

William Howard Taft's legacy is shaped by the unusual breadth of his career and by the contrasting assessments of his time in the presidency and on the Supreme Court. As president, Taft's record is often overshadowed by the dramatic political events of 1912 and by unfavorable comparisons with his predecessor and former friend, Theodore Roosevelt. His tariff policy was seen as a political failure, and his handling of intra-party conflicts contributed to the worst electoral defeat suffered by a sitting president up to that time.

However, Taft's contributions to the judiciary and to the administrative infrastructure of the federal government have received more positive evaluations. His work as chief justice in modernizing the Supreme Court's operations, securing passage of the Judiciary Act of 1925, and advocating for a permanent Supreme Court building had lasting effects on the American legal system. Legal scholars have credited Taft with transforming the role of the chief justice from a primarily judicial to a partly administrative function, setting precedents that his successors would follow.

Taft's Commission on Economy and Efficiency, established during his presidency, is recognized as a pioneering effort in government management and an important precursor to later budgetary reforms. The commission's proposal for a unified executive budget anticipated the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921, which reshaped federal fiscal policy for the remainder of the twentieth century.

Taft's advocacy for international cooperation through the League to Enforce Peace placed him among the early proponents of collective security, a concept that would shape American foreign policy after World War II. His willingness to support international institutions, even at political cost, reflected a strand of Republican internationalism that would compete with isolationism within the party for decades.

In the broader sweep of American history, Taft occupies a distinctive position: a figure whose greatest ambitions lay in the judiciary rather than in politics, who reached the presidency partly through the wishes of others, and who ultimately found his deepest satisfaction in the office he had always desired most. His career illustrates the complex interplay of personal temperament, political circumstance, and institutional development that has shaped the American republic.