LIFE BEFORE PRESIDENCY
William Howard Taft was born September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Alphonso Taft and Louise Torrey.
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| William Howard Taft |
Taft's father was a lawyer. He served as a judge, ambassador and in the cabinet, as Secretary of War and Attorney General under Ulysses S. Grant.
William was a physically active child, playing sports and taking dancing lessons despite his tendency to obesity.
William Taft graduated from Yale College in 1878, second in his class out of 121. He attended Cincinnati Law School while working part time as a courthouse reporter for the Cincinnati Commercial. Taft passed his bar examination in May 1880.
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| Yale College photograph of Taft |
Taft married Helen "Nellie" Herron at her parents' home in Cincinnati on June 19, 1886. They remained devoted to each other throughout their almost 44 years of marriage. The couple had three children, of whom the eldest, Robert, became a U.S. senator.
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| First Lady Helen Taft in her official White House portrait |
Principally due to his father's political connections, Taft became assistant prosecutor of Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1881. Thereafter, he worked as a lawyer for a few years before serving as a state and federal judge, and then as governor of the Philippines beginning in 1900.
In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt made him Secretary of War. Taft declined repeated offers to become a Supreme Court justice.
Taft was Roosevelt's hand-picked Republican successor in 1908, and easily defeated William Jennings Bryan for the presidency.
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| Taft learns by telephone from Roosevelt of his nomination for president. |
William Howard Taft was a member of Cincinnati's First Unitarian Church.
PRESIDENCY
William Taft was the American president between 1909-13.
During his time in the White House, Taft focused on the Far East more than Europe, and repeatedly intervened in Latin America.
Taft's large size and his famous chuckle made Taft a memorable figure. He weighed a mighty 332lb — nearly 24 st — at his inauguration in 1909.
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| Official White House portrait of Taft by Anders Zorn |
Chairs were a problem. Taft always "looked before he sat" to avoid armchairs or antiques in which he might get stuck or collapse.
Taft is said to have got stuck in the White House bath. A replacement was installed, big enough to fit four men.
Taft followed a weight loss program. The president was in contact with Dr. Yorke-Davies for over twenty years and kept a daily record of his weight, food intake, and physical activity. Taft managed to go from 340 to 244 pounds and walked three miles to the Capitol every day.
When William Howard Taft arrived at the White House, he insisted on having an immediate supply of milk. Pauline Wayne became the presidential cow and supplied his milk.
William Howard Taft started a presidential tradition pitching out the first ball at the opening of baseball season. He made the pitch at a game between Washington and Philadelphia.
Toy companies failed to duplicate the success of Theodore Roosevelt's teddy bear with William Taft's "Billy Possum."
Taft was allied with the conservative wing of the Republican Party, while Roosevelt became more liberal after 1909. Roosevelt unsuccessfully challenged Taft for renomination in 1912, then bolted the party and ran as a third-party candidate. The split in the Republican vote left Taft with little chance of re-election, and he lost to Woodrow Wilson, winning only Utah and Vermont.
In 1912, James Sherman—Taft's vice president/running mate—died from kidney disease six days before the general election. His name remained on the ticket.
William Howard Taft began his duties as professor of law at Yale University on April 2 1913.
On July 11, 1921, Taft was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He served until a month before his death nine years later. He posted a conservative record, and reformed the court's administration.
Taft is the only man to have filled both offices of President and Chief Justice.
Taft died on March 8, 1930 due to heart failure. Three days later, he became the first president to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources Compton's Encyclopedia, Millercenter
When William Howard Taft arrived at the White House, he insisted on having an immediate supply of milk. Pauline Wayne became the presidential cow and supplied his milk.
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| Pauline Wayne in front of the Navy Building, now the Eisenhower Executive Office Building |
William Howard Taft started a presidential tradition pitching out the first ball at the opening of baseball season. He made the pitch at a game between Washington and Philadelphia.
Toy companies failed to duplicate the success of Theodore Roosevelt's teddy bear with William Taft's "Billy Possum."
Taft was allied with the conservative wing of the Republican Party, while Roosevelt became more liberal after 1909. Roosevelt unsuccessfully challenged Taft for renomination in 1912, then bolted the party and ran as a third-party candidate. The split in the Republican vote left Taft with little chance of re-election, and he lost to Woodrow Wilson, winning only Utah and Vermont.
In 1912, James Sherman—Taft's vice president/running mate—died from kidney disease six days before the general election. His name remained on the ticket.
POST PRESIDENCY
William Howard Taft began his duties as professor of law at Yale University on April 2 1913.
On July 11, 1921, Taft was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He served until a month before his death nine years later. He posted a conservative record, and reformed the court's administration.
Taft is the only man to have filled both offices of President and Chief Justice.
Taft died on March 8, 1930 due to heart failure. Three days later, he became the first president to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Sources Compton's Encyclopedia, Millercenter
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