William Howard Taft

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Sept 15, 1857. The 27th president of the US was born at Cincinnati, OH. His term of office was Mar 4, 1909–Mar 3, 1913. Following his presidency he became a law professor at Yale University until his appointment as Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court in 1921. Died at Washington, DC, Mar 8, 1930, and buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

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William Howard Taft, 1909. (credit: Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.)

(born Sept. 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.died March 8, 1930, Washington, D.C.) 27th president of the U.S. (190913). He served on the Ohio superior court (188790), as U.S. solicitor general (189092), and as U.S. appellate judge (18921900). He was appointed head of the Philippine Commission to set up a civilian government in the islands and was the Philippines' first civilian governor (190104). He served as U.S. secretary of war (190408) under Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, who supported Taft's nomination for president in 1908. He won the election but became allied with the conservative Republicans, causing a rift with party progressives. He was again the nominee in 1912, but the split with Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party resulted in the electoral victory of Woodrow Wilson. Taft later taught law at Yale University (191321), served on the National War Labor Board (1918), and was a supporter of the League of Nations. As chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (192130), he introduced reforms that made the court more efficient. His important opinion in Myers v. U.S. (1926) upheld the president's authority to remove federal officials.

For more information on William Howard Taft, visit Britannica.com.

(b. Cincinnati, Ohio, 15 Sept. 1857; d. 8 Mar. 1930) US; Solicitor-General 1890 – 2, Governor of the Philippines 1901 – 3, President 1909 – 13, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court 1921 – 30 Born into a family involved in law and politics — his grandfather and father were judges, his father having served also as a Cabinet member — Taft was educated at high school in Cincinnati and took his first degree at Yale, graduating second in a class of 121. He studied law at Cincinnati Law School and was admitted to the bar in Ohio in 1880. He served in a number of positions, primarily legal posts, before being appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Cincinnati in 1887. Three years later he was appointed Solicitor-General of the United States. In 1892 he was appointed a US circuit judge. Four years later he became a law professor at his old law school.

His rise to public prominence began in 1900 when President McKinley appointed him to chair a commission to establish civil government in the Philippines. A year later he was appointed Governor-General of the Philippines, a post in which he served with some distinction. He served for three years and returned to take up a Cabinet post as Secretary of War. Well liked and trusted by the President, Teddy Roosevelt, he was Roosevelt's chosen successor and in 1908 he was the Republican nominee for the presidency. He won with a convincing majority — achieving 7.6 million votes to William Jennings Bryan's 6.4 million — and was inaugurated on 4 March 1909. As President, he maintained Roosevelt's campaign against monopolies and encouraged "dollar diplomacy" abroad, relying on trade rather than military power to spread American influence. A number of important acts were passed and a constitutional amendment — introducing a federal income tax — was achieved. However, Taft lacked Roosevelt's clout and dynamism and had difficulty controlling the more conservative elements in the Republican Party. In the 1910 mid-term elections, the Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives. Progressives in the Republican Party became disillusioned with Taft and relations between the President and his predecessor became strained. In 1912, Roosevelt ran as a Progressive candidate for the presidency, effectively splitting the Republican vote and letting the Democrat, Woodrow Wilson, into office. Taft finished third in the race.

After leaving the White House, Taft returned to academic life, taking up the post of law professor at Yale and serving briefly as joint chairman of the National War Labor Board. He returned to judicial life in 1921. The new Republican President, Warren Harding, nominated him to be Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. It was a post in which he was to serve for nine years. Though not a great jurist, he was an effective administrator and achieved reform of the federal judiciary. He wrote some important opinions for the court and felt thoroughly at ease on the nation's highest court. He resigned in February 1930, at the age of 72, because of a heart ailment, and died just over a month later.

Taft was a great man physically — he weighed in excess of 20 stone, the heaviest man ever to occupy the presidency — but not a great man politically. His greatest love was the law and he was at his happiest when serving on the bench. What took him away from the bench so often was his sense of duty, as well as his wife's ambition for him. His wife was the daughter of a judge but she wanted her husband to achieve prominence; she was the first First Lady to travel with her husband from the inauguration to the White House. Above all, Taft was a man who believed in service to his country. When called upon by the President to serve in a particular post, Taft responded to the call. While in the Philippines, he twice turned down the offer of a place on the Supreme Court because his work was not finished. He disliked confrontation and was distraught when his old friend Roosevelt turned against him. He was a patrician — he treated the Filipinos as people for whom he had a special responsibility (he spoke of them "as my little brown brothers") — and had a friendly disposition. He always took in good spirits jokes about his ample girth. When, in the Philippines, he cabled to the Secretary of War that he had ridden 25 miles on horseback, he received the reply: "How is the horse?"

Taft was not cut out for the rough and tumble of national politics. When he lost office, he admitted to feeling relieved and told his successor, "I'm glad to be going. This is the lonesomest place in the world." His enduring love was for the law and he achieved contentment late in life when he became Chief Justice. "I love judges and I love courts," he once declared, and in 1925 he wrote "The truth is that in my present life I don't remember that I was ever President." As President, he fulfilled the ambitions of his wife. As Chief Justice, he fulfilled his own.

(b. Cincinnati, Ohio, 15 Sep. 1857; d. Washington, D.C., 8 Mar. 1930; interred Arlington National Cemetery), president of the United States, 1909–1913; chief justice, 1921–1930. William Howard Taft, the only figure in American history to serve both as president of the United States and chief justice of its highest court, was born in Cincinnati on 15 September 1857, the son and grandson of judges. Ample in girth as well as intellect, he possessed amiability rather than political ambition. Taft was attracted not to politics, but to law in general, and judging in particular, throughout his long and varied career. Though capable as a lawyer, he achieved his greatest fulfillment as a judge. He served in a number of political capacities, including the highest political office in this country, but his calling remained the judiciary. “I love judges, and I love courts. They are my ideals, that typify on earth what we shall meet hereafter in heaven under a just God.” And toward the end of his life, when, after losing reelection to the presidency, he ultimately attained his lifelong goal of the chief justice's seat on the Court, an observer described him on the bench “as one of the high gods of the world, a smiling Buddha, placid, wise, gentle, sweet” (J. Anderson, William Howard Taft, 1981, p. 259).

Taft graduated from Yale in 1878, and after attending the University of Cincinnati law school, was admitted to the Ohio bar two years later. But his private practice was a short one. The son of a family well known in Ohio politics, he was appointed to the Ohio Superior Court in 1887. Within two years, he tried to have his name submitted to President Benjamin Harrison for a vacancy on the United States Supreme Court. Although he did not receive the appointment, the influence exercised on his behalf was sufficient for Harrison to name the thirty‐two‐year‐old Ohio judge as solicitor general. The required relocation to Washington afforded Taft the opportunity to meet lawyers and political figures on the national scene. Taft was not an eloquent advocate, but his performance as solicitor general was more than competent; he won sixteen out of the eighteen cases that he argued before the Court. In

1892, Harrison appointed him a federal judge for the Sixth Circuit.

Taft, William Howard

Taft served on the circuit bench for eight years. Many of the cases before him concerned organized labor. Throughout his later career, especially during his presidential term, Taft would be severely criticized for his hostility to the working man. In fact, examination of his federal judicial career indicates ambivalence rather than outright antagonism toward labor. He had no doubt, for example, that workers had the right to organize into unions and strike when they considered it necessary. Moreover, he ruled in one case that it was unlawful for owners to force their workers to accept nonliability clauses as a condition of employment, a device popular among employers for avoiding liability for accidents. Taft's ruling was later reversed by the Supreme Court.

On the other hand, a strike was not the same thing as a boycott; Taft regularly enjoined the latter. While he occasionally supported the workers' position in a particular case, he remained staunchly conservative in his attitudes toward property rights. And, like many conservatives, he reacted with outrage to violence resulting from conflict between labor and management. During the Pullman strike in 1894, Taft wrote to his wife that “it will be necessary for the military to kill some of the mob. … They have only killed six … as yet. This is hardly enough to make an impression.”

Taft found his years as a federal judge extremely fulfilling. There was always the possibility of advancement to the high court, a goal not shared by Taft's wife, who consistently urged her husband to venture into fields with greater potential for political rewards. When in 1900 President William McKinley named him chair of the Philippine Commission, pressure from Helen Taft, rather than his own preference, proved persuasive. He remained in the islands for four years, ultimately serving as civil governor, a position that he considered similar to his earlier judicial functions. So absorbing did he find his island responsibilities that on at least two separate occasions between 1901 and 1904, Taft declined appointments to the Supreme Court, choosing instead to remain in the Philippines. Finally in 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt recalled him to Washington as secretary of war. His close association with the president, together with Helen Taft's vigorous encouragement and Roosevelt's stated determination not to seek reelection in 1908, all combined to propel a reluctant Taft into the White House.

Had Roosevelt been able to offer Taft the position of chief justice, subsequent events might have been very different. Neither interested in politics nor astute in the ways of politicians, Taft found his four years as chief executive a frustrating and unrewarding experience. He was, however, able to make six appointments to the Supreme Court, more than any other one‐term president in American history. He even named a new chief justice in place of Melville Fuller, commenting with real regret that “the one place in the government which I would have liked to fill myself I am forced to give to another.” Indeed, Taft's self‐interest in this matter colored his conduct.

Ultimately faced with two choices, both justices currently on the Court, either Edward D. White or Charles Evans Hughes, Taft ultimately named White, even though White was a Democrat, and though Taft respected Hughes more as a judge. But White was a dozen years older than Taft, and seventeen years older than Hughes. Refusing to abandon his goal of ultimately serving as chief justice, Taft realized that given the vicissitudes of time, he might yet have a chance of succeeding White. Actuarial considerations may thus have been the dominant factor in White's ultimate selection.

Taft expected defeat in the bitter three‐way 1912 presidential campaign and left the presidency to Woodrow Wilson with relief. Offered the Kent Chair in Constitutional Law at Yale Law School, Taft commented jocularly that a chair would not be adequate, but perhaps “a sofa of law” might suffice. He adjusted to the life of an academician with an extensive and, for the time, lucrative lecture schedule. He remained interested in national affairs and strongly endorsed Wilson's League of Nations, even as he severely criticized the embattled president's political intransigence. Always a loyal Republican, he supported Warren G. Harding with consistency if not enthusiasm. After Harding's triumphant election, the new chief executive offered to place Taft on the bench, but the former president replied that he would only accept the position of chief justice.

With an eagerness to succeed his own nominee as chief justice that was understandable if not unseemly, Taft might have pondered Thomas Jefferson's famous lament about justices on the high court: “few die and none resign.” Although he had a few anxious months owing to Chief Justice White's seeming longevity, ultimately Taft's calculations concerning the length of the chief's term were correct. To some extent in 1908, but even more so in 1921, Taft happened to be in the right place for the right position with the right president at the right time. Nominated chief justice by Harding on 30 June 1921, the former president was confirmed later that same day by the Senate, which did not even bother to refer the matter to committee.

As chief justice, Taft was distinguished less by doctrinal than by departmental innovation. Especially in the first half of his nine‐year term, while he remained in relatively sound health, he was the most active chief justice in court administrative matters thus far in the history of that tribunal. Taft did not hesitate to use many of his old presidential and congressional contacts to further his goals for the Court. His skillful combination of informal lobbying, matched with a sound understanding of the needs of the federal judicial system, led to congressional enactment of the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the justices almost total discretion over their docket. This discretionary flexibility continues to the present, allowing the Court, with very few exceptions, to decide what cases need to be resolved and in what context. Later, Taft employed these same skillful techniques to insure congressional support for the construction of a building appropriate to the Court's role in American constitutional adjudication. He did not live to see it completed, but the structure remains one fitting tribute to Taft's vision of the Court.

As chief justice, Taft emphasized teamwork among his associates. He did not appreciate frequent dissents (especially those replete with lengthy footnotes that seemed to emanate too often from Justice Louis Brandeis) because he thought they lessened the effectiveness of the Court's work. His reluctance to see disagreement within the Court made public is reflected in the fact that in his eight full terms he dissented about twenty times and submitted written dissents in only four cases. Yet he wrote 249 opinions on behalf of the Court.

Taft's conservative tendencies demonstrated during his first judicial career were very much in evidence during his second. In 1921, speaking for a bare majority of the Court, he struck down an Arizona statute that limited use of injunctions during labor disputes. Conduct that strikers claimed to be sanctioned by the statute was, according to Taft in Truax v. Corrigan (1921), “moral coercion by illegal annoyance and obstruction, and it thus was plainly a conspiracy” (p. 328). Less than six months later, he held a federal statute dealing with child labor unconstitutional. Earlier, Congress had enacted a similar law, based upon its power to regulate commerce, only to see it struck down by the Court (see Commerce Power). Its second attempt was based not on the Commerce Clause, but rather on the taxing power; yet Taft saw no difference worth discussing (see Taxing and Spending Clause). In reality, the act was a penalty, Taft concluded in Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Co. (1922), because in seeking “to do the same thing, and the effort must be equally futile” (p. 39).

Taft was nevertheless capable of unusual doctrinal flexibility. In one of his rare dissents, he criticized the majority's rejection of a minimum wage for women. Sounding more like Justice Holmes than himself, Taft wrote in Adkins v. Children's Hospital (1923), “it is not the function of this Court to hold congressional acts invalid simply because they are passed to carry out economic views which the Court believes to be unwise or unsound” (p. 562). When the Court unanimously rejected a congressional attempt to regulate commodity futures trading through the taxing power, in the course of his opinion, Taft advised Congress to reenact the measure based on its plenary authority to regulate commerce. Congress did so, and with the sections regulating futures trading still intact, Taft upheld the law. Indeed, Taft's opinions for the Court dealing with the national commerce power tended to be sweeping in their endorsement of congressional authority. If they represented a conservative viewpoint, it was a dynamic conservatism—restricted only by Taft's insistence that the “sanctity and inviolability of judicial decisions” from his court be unimpaired.

By 1928, Taft's health was failing. Although he sat in his accustomed chair for the opening of the 1929 October term, illness forced him to resign in February 1930. He died barely a month later and was the first president to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. If not a distinguished judge in his doctrines and opinions, Taft was an outstanding judicial administrator. Especially in the first half of his term, no chief justice thus far in our history matched his active role in court administration, and his leadership in bringing about legislation gave needed judicial discretion to the Court to control its docket. Taft's leadership helped modernize a tribunal badly in need of such change. In retrospect, however, too often his decisions reflected a fear of change rather than its necessary facilitation.

See also Chief Justice, Office of the.

Bibliography

• Alpheus Thomas Mason, The Supreme Court from Taft to Warren (1958).
• Alpheus Thomas Mason, William Howard Taft: Chief Justice (1964).
• Walter F. Murphy, In His Own Image: Mr. Chief Justice Taft and Supreme Court Appointments, in The Supreme Court and the Constitution, edited by Philip Kurland (1965).
• Hentry F. Pringle, The Life and Times of William Howard Taft, 2 vols. (reprint, 1964)

— Jonathan Lurie

Taft, William Howard (1857-1930)27th president of the United States, born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Taft came from a politically active family; his father was secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant. Taft studied law and also entered Republican party politics while still young; he was named a judge on the superior court of Ohio in 1887 and elected to the position the following year; he was appointed solicitor general by President Benjamin Harrison in 1890 and named to the Sixth District federal court in 1892. In 1900 President William McKinley appointed him to head the Philippine Commission; Taft became civil governor of the Philippines the following year. During his four years in the Philippines Taft proved a gifted administrator; he dealt fairly with the Philippine population and materially improved their standard of living. In 1904 Taft declined offers of a Supreme Court appointment but agreed to become secretary of war to President Theodore Roosevelt. Taft developed a close and trusting relationship with Roosevelt and became his logical successor; he easily won the presidency in 1908, defeating William Jennings Bryan by a 2-to-1 margin in the Electoral College. Taft's rejection of Roosevelt's progressive, reform-minded cabinet rapidly cooled their relationship; Taft held a more limited view of presidential power than his predecessor and differed with him on policy areas, including preservation of the protective tariff and conservation. As relations between Taft and Roosevelt deteriorated and the Republicans suffered losses in Congress in 1910, Roosevelt decided to run for president in 1912 and, after losing out at the Republican convention, bolted the party; in a bitterly fought campaign, Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat, emerged victorious, with Roosevelt second, and Taft far behind, carrying only Vermont and Utah, for a total of 8 electoral votes. Taft's presidential record included some notable successes, including initiation of constitutional amendments in favor of an income tax and direct election of senators. After leaving the presidency, Taft taught law at Yale, lobbied for a League of Nations, and, in 1920, was appointed to the Supreme Court, where he was an effective chief justice who greatly improved the efficiency and coordination of the court; his votes on the Court were largely but not entirely conservative and anti-labor; he did support increased federal regulation of interstate commerce and a minimum wage for women. He served until 1930, when he retired because of ill health.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

William Howard Taft (1857-1930), as twenty-seventh president of the United States and a chief justice, failed to rise adequately to the challenges of the times, despite his many strong qualities.

William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Sept. 15, 1857, into a family of old New England stock. Both his father and grandfather had served terms as judges, and young Taft aspired to a judicial career. A bright but unimaginative youngster, he attended high school in Cincinnati, and at Yale University he finished second in a graduating class of 121 in 1878. Two years later he graduated from the Cincinnati Law School.

An outsize, congenial young man with a tendency to procrastinate, Taft took an active interest in Republican politics. He was rewarded with appointments to various offices. Between 1880 and 1890 he served successively as assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County, Ohio, collector of internal revenue for Cincinnati, and judge of the Superior Court of Ohio. Named solicitor general of the United States in 1890, he distinguished himself for his thorough preparation and won 15 of the first 18 cases he argued in the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, in 1886, Taft had married Helen Herron of Cincinnati. Eventually they had three children. A driving, ambitious woman, she wanted her husband to follow a political rather than a legal career. When a Federal judgeship opened in 1891, she protested that his appointment would "put and end to all your opportunities … of being thrown with bigwigs." And she twice influenced him to reject offers of a Supreme Court seat during Theodore Roosevelt's first administration in order to maintain his availability for the presidency.

Federal Service

Disregarding his wife's admonitions, Taft accepted appointment to the Sixth Circuit Court in 1892. Though he again distinguished himself for thoroughness and technical command of the law, he was inhibited by his lack of imagination. Yet he was in no sense a reactionary and in some respects not even a conservative. He broke new ground in employers' liability cases and revitalized the Sherman Antitrust Act. He also upheld labor's right to strike. He disapproved of secondary boycotts, however, and by insisting on enforcing the injunctive power he acquired a somewhat exaggerated reputation as an antilabor judge. His written opinions, like his oral arguments, were learned but verbose.

In 1899 Taft turned down the presidency of Yale University, partly because he believed his Unitarianism would offend traditionalists. Then, in March 1900, he reluctantly acceded to President William McKinley's request that he become president of the Philippine Commission. The 4 most creative years of his life followed. Overriding the will of the autocratic military governor, Gen. Arthur MacArthur, he instituted civil government and became in 1901 the archipelago's first civil governor.

In the Philippines, Taft established an educational system, built roads and harbors, and negotiated the purchase of 400, 000 acres from the Dominican friars for resale on generous terms to the Filipinos. He also pushed limited self-government rapidly. Taft's conviction that the Philippines should be administered in the interests of its citizens, coupled with his open, conciliatory presence, won him respect and affection. And though he failed to prevent the islands from entering into an economic relationship with the United States which adversely affected their development in the long run, his tenure was probably the most enlightened colonial administration to that time.

Secretary of War

On Feb. 1, 1904, Taft succeeded Elihu Root as U.S. secretary of war. The duties again proved surprisingly congenial, largely because he became one of President Roosevelt's most intimate advisers and his principal troubleshooter. Continuing to supervise administration of the Philippines, he assumed responsibility for starting construction of the Panama Canal and represented the President on various missions. His most important mission was to Japan; it culminated in the secret recognition of Japan's suzerainty over Korea. He also helped suppress a threatened revolution in Cuba in 1906.

Although Taft still yearned to join the Supreme Court, he allowed his wife and brothers to kindle presidential aspirations. Impressed by Taft's "absolutely unflinching rectitude" and "literally dauntless courage and willingness to bear responsibility, " as he phrased it, Roosevelt decided in 1907 to make Taft his successor as president. Both men believed mistakenly at the time that they agreed totally on public policy. Yet by February 1908, after several thunderous messages to Congress had revealed the real depth of Roosevelt's progressivism, his wife urged him not to "make any more speeches on the Roosevelt policies."

Nevertheless, the presidential campaign of 1908 was waged mainly on the "Roosevelt policies." Though Taft defeated William Jennings Bryan handily, his plurality dropped about 1, 500, 000 votes below Roosevelt's in 1904. Moreover, the election of numerous Progressive Republicans and Democrats shifted the balance in Congress.

The Presidency

Whatever Taft thought about Roosevelt's objectives, he never had approved of his freewheeling, often extralegal, procedures. This was especially true of conservation, a field in which Roosevelt and his subordinates had consistently interpreted the law loosely in order to protect the public interest. Taft decided, accordingly, that his mission was to consolidate rather than push forward - to give the Roosevelt reforms, as he privately said, "the sanction of law." To this end he surrounded himself with lawyers. At the same time, he underestimated both the temper of the times and the zeal of the Progressive Republicans in Congress. Worse still, he proved incapable of giving the nation the kind of moral, intellectual, and political leadership it had grown accustomed to under Roosevelt.

Taft's troubles started early. True at first to his campaign promises, he called a special session of Congress to revise the tariff. The resultant bill was not a bad measure by Republican standards, but it failed abysmally to meet expectations. Disguising his disappointment, Taft called it "the best bill that the party has ever passed" and signed it into law. This alienated many insurgent Republicans, most of whom were already seething over his refusal to support their effort to reduce the powers of Joseph "Uncle Joe" Cannon, the czarlike Speaker of the House.

Taft's replacement of Roosevelt's secretary of the interior contributed to the polarization of the party. The new secretary, Richard A. Ballinger, was a moderate conservationist and a strict legal constructionist in the manner of Taft himself." I do not hesitate to say, " the President wrote, that the presidential power to withdraw public lands from private use "was exercised far beyond legal limitation under Secretary Garfield." With Taft's endorsement, Ballinger insisted on opening much valuable land to private entry while the Geological Survey completed surveys. Angered by this and other inhibiting policies, Roosevelt's intimate friend, Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot, finally charged Ballinger with a "giveaway" of Alaskan mineral lands to the Guggenheim-Morgan financial interests. Taft thereupon removed Pinchot from office. Although Ballinger was eventually exonerated, Taft was fatally, and somewhat unfairly, stamped as anticonservationist.

Ironically, Taft's relentless prosecution of trusts further exacerbated his relations with Roosevelt. Unlike the former president, he believed that dissolution rather than regulation was the preferred solution. He gave Attorney General George W. Wickersham free rein to institute proceedings, and by the end of 4 years almost twice as many actions had been initiated as in 7½ years under Roosevelt. Among these were proceedings against the U.S. Steel Corporation, which had absorbed the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company during the Panic of 1907 with Roosevelt's tacit approval.

In Congress, meanwhile, a coalition of Progressive Republicans and Democrats drove through half a dozen reform measures. Some were supported warmly by Taft, some halfheartedly, and others not at all. But all owed their passage to the Progressive ferment Roosevelt had done so much to create during his presidency and after his return from abroad in 1910. They included amendments for an income tax and the direct election of senators, the Mann-Elkins Act to increase the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission, creation of the Children's Bureau, a corporation tax, safety standards for mines, Postal Savings and Parcel Post, and workmen's compensation legislation.

Foreign Affairs

Taft's conduct of foreign policy was governed by an uncritical extension of the concepts behind the Open-Door Notes of 1899 and 1900. Disregarding Roosevelt's warning that the United States should accept Japanese preeminence in eastern Asia and abandon commercial aspirations in Manchuria and North China, he pursued a policy of "active intervention to secure for our merchandise and our capitalists opportunity for profitable investment."

In the Caribbean, Taft was even more ingenious than Roosevelt in devising means to protect the Panama Canal. He put American troops into Nicaragua in 1912 to install and maintain in power a conservative, pro-United States party. And in what came to be termed "dollar diplomacy, " he encouraged American capital to displace European capital elsewhere in the region. The end result was security for the canal and ultraconservative and often repressive government for the Caribbean peoples.

By 1912 Taft had so isolated himself from his party's Progressive and was under such heavy fire from Roosevelt and Senator Robert M. La Follette that the Progressives were prepared to support either Roosevelt or La Follette for the presidential nomination. Taft lost to the former president by more than 2 to 1 in the 13 state primaries that winter and spring. However, his control of Republican party machinery gave him enough delegates to win renomination in convention. Embittered further by Roosevelt's decision to run on the Progressive ticket, Taft waged an angry, defensive, and ineffectual campaign. He finished behind Woodrow Wilson and Roosevelt.

Taft's best qualities, especially his capacity for disinterested public service, again became dominant after he left the White House and accepted the Kent chair of constitutional law at Yale. His views on World War I were closer to President Wilson's than to those of interventionist Republicans like Roosevelt and Lodge, and he generously backed the President during the period of neutrality. His work as joint chairman of the War Labor Board contributed greatly to the relatively smooth course of labor-management relations during the war. He afterward gave broad support to Wilson's plan for the League of Nations Covenant.

Chief Justice

On June 30, 1921, President Warren G. Harding fulfilled Taft's "heart's desire" by appointing him chief justice. Taft brought to his new position a consuming belief in the rule of law, an unshakable conviction that the protection of property rights was crucial to orderly government, and a driving determination to perfect the administration of justice. He further brought a fierce resolve to mold the Court in his own moderately conservative image. In 1916 he had bitterly opposed Wilson's nomination of Louis D. Brandeis. Now, as chief justice, he discouraged Harding from considering men like Benjamin Cardozo, Learned Hand, and Henry Stimson because they might "herd" with the liberals, Holmes and Brandeis. Yet, he also said, it would be equally unwise to have too many men as reactionary as James McReynolds. He was largely responsible for the selection of Pierce Butler in 1922.

As chief justice, Taft compiled a mixed record. Although he succeeded in massing the Court along generally conservative lines, few of his opinions ring down through the years. One exception was his dissent in 1923 from the majority finding in the Adkins case that a minimum-wage act interfered with freedom of contract. Otherwise, as a careful student of Taft's chief justiceship writes, "Taft endorsed decisions, sometimes writing the majority opinion, that seemed to fasten both the national government and the states in a strait jacket." He wrote the majority opinion in the second child-labor case. He ruled, again for the majority, that a Kansas statute for compulsory arbitration of wage disputes was unconstitutional. And he declared, once more for the conservative majority, that an Arizona limitation on the use of injunctions against labor violated due process. He also held in the famous Coronado case that labor unions could be sued under the antitrust laws.

Conversely, Taft sanctioned the exercise of broad regulatory powers by the Federal government under the commerce clause. He also sustained the presidential power to remove executive officers.

As an administrator, Taft ranks with Melville W. Fuller and Charles Evans Hughes; he was notably successful in effecting administrative reforms. He wrote more opinions than any other member of his Court, expedited the hearing of cases, and won congressional authorization to create a conference of senior circuit judges. He also shaped and influenced passage of the Judge's Bill of 1925, which gave the Court wide discretionary power and enabled it to reduce the number of unimportant cases that came before it. In addition, Taft was preeminently responsible for the decision to construct the Supreme Court Building. However, he made little enduring impression upon constitutional law. He retired in February 1930 and died in Washington on March 30.

Taft's reputation among contemporary historians is somewhat higher as president and somewhat lower as chief justice than it was in his lifetime. More than any other major figure of his times, perhaps, he exemplified the conservative virtues and weaknesses. Yearning always "for the absolute" - for a system of law devoid of vagueness - he failed in the end to find or to fashion it. He also failed in the main to adjust creatively to the social and economic changes induced by the industrialization of the nation.

Further Reading

The standard work on Taft is Henry F. Pringle, The Life and Times of William Howard Taft (2 vols., 1939). A brief account of Taft's presidential years is in George E. Mowry, The Era of Theodore Roosevelt, 1900-1912 (1958). Alpheus Thomas Mason's penetrating study William Howard Taft: Chief Justice (1965) offers a revealing account of Taft's chief justiceship. Taft's relations with Roosevelt are related in detail in William H. Harbaugh, Power and Responsibility: The Life and Times of Theodore Roosevelt (1961; new rev. ed. 1963), and William Manners, TR and Will: A Friendship That Split the Republican Party (1969). See also Archie Butt, Taft and Roosevelt: The Intimate Letters of Archie Butt (2 vols., 1930). James Penick, Jr., Progressive Politics and Conservation: The Ballinger-Pinchot Affair (1968), sheds new light on that episode.

• Born: Sept. 15, 1857, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Political party: Republican
• Education: Yale College, B.A., 1878; University of Cincinnati Law School, LL.B., 1880
• Military service: none
• Previous government service: assistant prosecuting attorney, Hamilton County, Ohio, 1881–82; collector of internal revenue for Cincinnati, 1882–83; assistant county solicitor, Hamilton County, 1885–87; justice, Superior Court of Cincinnati, 1887–90; U.S. solicitor general, 1890–92; presiding judge, 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1892–1900; president, Philippine Commission, 1900–1901; civil governor of the Philippines, 1901–4; U.S. secretary of war, 1904–8
• Elected President, 1908; served, 1909–13
• Subsequent government service: joint chairman, National War Labor Board, 1917–18; Appointed to Supreme Court by President Warren G. Harding June 30, 1921; replaced Chief Justice Edward D. White, who died
• Supreme Court term: confirmed by the Senate June 30, 1921, by a voice vote; retired Feb., 3, 1930
• Died: Mar. 8, 1930, Washington, D.C.

William Howard Taft viewed the President as “chief magistrate” of the nation—someone who would hear the arguments of lower officials and then make his decision—not as a national leader who would use public opinion to lead the nation in his own direction. Taft argued that Presidential power was limited by the express language of the Constitution and that the President could not use the “general welfare” clause of its preamble to extend his powers further to meet the needs of the people (as his predecessor Theodore Roosevelt had argued). When Taft broke with the former President over conservation policies, he opened a split in the Republican party that guaranteed his defeat for a second term.

Taft is the only President of the United States. to also serve as chief justice of the United States. Of the two positions, chief justice was the one to which he most strongly aspired. From his youth to old age, Taft ardently desired to sit on the Supreme Court. When he was 63 years old, his ambition was fulfilled when President Warren G. Harding appointed him to the Court.

Taft was born into a staunch Republican family. His grandfather had been a judge in New England, and his father, Alphonso Taft, had been secretary of war and attorney general in President Ulysses S. Grant's administration and minister to Russia and Austria during Chester Arthur's Presidency. Taft graduated from Yale second in his class, attended law school in Cincinnati, practiced law briefly, and then spent much of his career as a judge. His highest ambition was to serve on the Supreme Court. In a sense his Presidency was a detour to his lifelong goal, one he accepted because of the urging of his brothers and his wife.

After serving for many years as a state and federal judge, and as solicitor general in the U.S. Justice Department, Taft was tapped by President William McKinley in 1900 to serve as president of the U.S. Philippine Commission, set up to administer the islands the United States had won from Spain in the Spanish-American War. Taft believed that the “little brown brothers” on the islands were not ready for self-rule, so he organized a civil government to replace U.S. military rule and was named the first civil governor of the Philippines the following year. While he was working to pacify the island, he twice declined offers of a Supreme Court appointment from Theodore Roosevelt.

In 1904 Taft became Roosevelt's secretary of war. He met secretly with Count Katsura of Japan on July 29, 1905, to discuss a proposed Japanese protectorate (control over politics and the economy) in Korea once the Russo-Japanese War was concluded. Taft's acquiescence paved the way for the success of the Portsmouth Peace Conference that ended the war. In 1906 Taft helped prevent a potential rebellion in Cuba against a U.S.-supported regime. The United States imposed a provisional government under the terms of the Platt Amendment, which permitted U.S. intervention in Cuban affairs.

Roosevelt designated Taft his successor, and he easily won the Republican nomination of 1908. Taft defeated the Democratic nominee, William Jennings Bryan, though in the heat of the campaign he had to leave his front porch in Cincinnati and campaign vigorously in the Midwest—the first time in U.S. history that both major-party candidates actively campaigned among the people for votes.

When Taft was inaugurated, it was the first time since 1837 that a President had successfully transferred power to his preferred successor. But Taft soon disappointed Roosevelt with his inability to provide effective leadership. He held as few press conferences as he could and was unable to rally public opinion behind him. While Roosevelt spent a year in Africa hunting big game, Taft allied himself with Republican conservatives and signed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, which made only minor cuts in the high taxes on imports that had been set in 1897 by the Dingley Tariff Act. By accepting a high tariff he alienated himself from the progressive wing of the party.

Not all Taft's policies were conservative, however. The tariff act contained the first federal tax on corporate profits. Taft enforced the Sherman Anti-Trust Act to a greater extent than the “trust buster” Roosevelt had, winning lawsuits against the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, American Tobacco Company, Du Pont de Nemours, and the American Sugar Refining Company. He limited the workday of federal employees to eight hours and created a commission to consider workmen's compensation legislation, which would provide money to injured workers. He proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would permit a personal income tax.

Taft called for a new budget process in which the President would have the primary responsibility for formulating an executive budget, but Congress ignored his requests. He got Congress to approve a new department of labor, enlarge the national park system, and create a bureau of mines. Congress extended the jurisdiction of the Interstate Commerce Commission to cover telephones, telegraph lines, underwater cable lines, and radio. A new campaign finance law proposed by Taft required candidates for Congress to make public their campaign expenditures.

In foreign policy Taft won arbitration treaties with Great Britain and France to provide for peaceful resolution of disputes, but these were blocked by the Senate. He barely got Senate approval for a trade agreement with Canada, and the Canadian parliament defeated it. The President instituted a foreign policy of “dollar diplomacy,” which he defined as “substituting dollars for bullets” in an attempt to increase U.S. trade and influence abroad. The government worked with commercial banks to dominate the finances of Caribbean and Central American governments: it ran their customs houses (which collected duties on imported goods), helped establish local banks, floated loans for development, and secured contracts and markets for U.S. businesses.

Taft abandoned dollar diplomacy for more forceful intervention when he landed 2,500 marines in Nicaragua to take control of the country, and he also sent troops into Honduras, Cuba, and China to end threats to U.S. property. “Peaceful Bill” did keep U.S. troops out of Mexico during a revolution that erupted in 1910. Taft upset foreign nations by signing a 1912 law that exempted U.S. shipping companies from paying tolls for use of the Panama Canal. This law seemed to violate the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty, which established that all nations would pay the same tolls; Taft construed it to mean all nations except the United States. The law was repealed in 1913 after Taft left office.

Theodore Roosevelt split with his protégé in 1910 after Taft fired Gifford Pinchot, chief of the Division of Forestry and a defender of Roosevelt's conservation policies. Taft sided with his secretary of the interior, Richard Ballinger, who had opened for sale a tract of public land in Alaska that Roosevelt had previously designated not for sale. (Within a year, after a public outcry, Ballinger was forced to resign and the sale was canceled.)

In the fall of 1910 ex-President Theodore Roosevelt made a nationwide tour to 20 cities, where he articulated a progressive program of government regulation known as the New Nationalism. Meanwhile, Congress passed a series of bills providing for low tariffs on wool, cotton, and other goods, which Taft vetoed, further reducing his popularity in the Middle West. In the 1910 midterm elections Democrats won the House of Representatives and increased their Senate seats from 32 to 42; Republican Senate seats dropped from 59 to 49.

By February 1912, Roosevelt was openly campaigning for the Republican Presidential nomination, reversing his pledge not to seek a third term by claiming he had meant he would not seek three consecutive terms. Taft became the first sitting President to campaign for his own renomination. Roosevelt defeated him in most of the 15 Presidential primaries, even in Ohio. But Taft managed to secure the Republican nomination in 1912, in part through his control of Southern delegations that consisted primarily of black officeholders dependent on his patronage and in part through the support of big-city political machines, or organizations. Roosevelt contested these “Taft delegations” with his own supporters. But the Republican National Committee, controlled by Taft, seated 235 of the Southerners who favored him, awarding only 20 to the Roosevelt delegates and ensuring Taft's victory. Roosevelt then ran as a third-party candidate.

It was a bitter campaign. Taft called Roosevelt an egotist and a demagogue; Roosevelt called Taft a weakling and a fathead with the brains of a guinea pig. With the Republican vote split, Democrat Woodrow Wilson won the election. Taft ran a poor third, winning only the eight electoral college votes of Utah and Vermont. Republicans remained in a minority in the House, lost control of the Senate, and lost a majority of state governments. After four years of Taft his party was divided and in shambles. “I am glad to be going,” he said as he left office. “This is the lonesomest place in the world.”

After leaving the White House, Taft taught constitutional law at Yale Law School and was elected president of the American Bar Association. He served on the National War Labor Board during World War I. Finally, in 1921, he achieved his goal in life: President Warren Harding appointed him to the Supreme Court. Chief Justice Taft was a great judicial administrator. He influenced Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 1925, which gave the Court almost total authority to choose what cases it would decide. And Taft influenced Congress to appropriate money for construction of the magnificent Supreme Court Building in which the Court conducts its work today. (Since 1860, the Court had been conducting its business on the first floor of the Capitol, in the old Senate chamber.) Chief Justice Taft was also known as a skillful manager of the Court's work load and an adept mediator among his colleagues.

Taft was not, however, as accomplished at formulating doctrine or writing opinions. Though he wrote 249 opinions for the Court, he left no landmark decisions or enduring interpretations of the Constitution. His most significant opinion was in Myers v. United States (1926). The Court ruled that the President had the power to remove an executive appointee, a postmaster, without the consent of the Senate. Taft said: “I never wrote an opinion I felt to be so important in its effect.”

The Tafts, like the Adamses and the Kennedys, are an American political dynasty. Taft's son, Robert Alphonso Taft, became a U.S. senator from Ohio in 1939. Known as Mr. Republican, he was one of the most influential Republican senators ever to serve. He was a contender for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1940, 1948, and 1952 but was never nominated. His son, Robert Taft, Jr., served as majority leader of the Ohio House of Representatives, as a U.S. representative in the 1960s, and as a senator from 1970 to 1976.

See also Office buildings, Supreme Court; Removal power; Roosevelt, Theodore; Wilson, Woodrow

Sources

• Paolo E. Coletta, The Presidency of William Howard Taft (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1973).
• William Manners, TR and Will: A Friendship That Split the Republican Party (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1969).
• Alpheus Thomas Mason, William Howard Taft: Chief Justice (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1964).
• William Howard Taft, Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers (New York: Columbia University Press, 1916)

(1857-1930), twenty-seventh president of the United States and chief justice, U.S. Supreme Court. A native of Cincinnati and a graduate of Yale, Taft was an able administrator and an intelligent, if unimaginative, lawyer and jurist. He was, however, a poor politician.

Taft served as U.S. solicitor general from 1890 to 1892 and as a federal circuit court judge from 1892 to 1900. He became head of the Second Philippine Commission in 1901 and the first governor-general of the Philippines the year following. In both posts he did much to advance civil government and to reconcile the Filipinos to American rule. Appointed secretary of war in 1904, he faithfully executed President Theodore Roosevelt's policies. In 1908, at Roosevelt's urging, he ran for president, handily defeating the Democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan.

Conservative in temperament but moderately progressive in intellect, Taft deemed it his mission as president to consolidate rather than expand the Roosevelt reforms--to give them "the sanction of law," as he privately phrased it. But he surrounded himself with conventional-minded lawyers and allowed Old Guard Republican leaders to control his lines to Congress. Partly in consequence, he compromised on the tariff after a courageous initial call for reform. He also suffered the resignation of Roosevelt's intimate, Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot, because he believed that some of the Roosevelt-Pinchot conservation practices had been "exercised far beyond legal limitation." Yet Taft instituted twice as many antitrust proceedings as Roosevelt had, and he signed a number of long-deferred measures, including a corporation tax, into law. Constitutional amendments for an income tax and direct election of senators were also approved during his administration, though they owed more to a coalition of progressive Republicans and Democrats than to the president.

Taft's performance in foreign affairs was similarly mixed. A strong proponent of international law, he strove unsuccessfully to win Senate support of a series of arbitration treaties, but he also sent marines into Nicaragua. Nevertheless, he much preferred economic to military action, and he supported an unproductive program of "dollar diplomacy" in the Caribbean and the Far East. Taft failed to be reelected in 1912 because of the defection of progressives to Roosevelt, who ran on the Bull Moose ticket, and to Woodrow Wilson, the successful Democratic candidate.

From Yale University, where he became a professor of law after leaving the White House, Taft gave measured support to Wilson's neutrality policies before the United States entered World War I. In 1915 he became president of the League to Enforce Peace, an organization of largely Republican internationalists, and he subsequently influenced Wilson to modify his proposed Covenant of the League of Nations. Convinced that qualified American membership in the League was better than nonparticipation, Taft reluctantly supported proposed Republican reservations. He hoped, in vain, that the internationalist wing of the gop would control foreign policy following the election of Warren G. Harding in 1920.

During the war, Taft had performed yeoman service as joint chairman of the quasi-judicial War Labor Board. After his appointment as chief justice of the Supreme Court in 1921, he modernized the judiciary system somewhat and exercised an influential voice in appointments. A genial and considerate man who weighed three hundred pounds, Taft frequently persuaded the Court's minority to refrain from dissent in order to convey an impression of unity. Although historians continue to regard Taft as politically maladroit, they tend to agree that, both as president and as chief justice, he was somewhat more progressive than conservative.

Bibliography:

Paola Coletta, The Presidency of William Howard Taft (1973); Alpheus T. Mason, William Howard Taft: Chief Justice (1965); Henry F. Pringle, The Life and Times of William Howard Taft, 2 vols. (1939).

Author:

William H. Harbaugh

See also Elections: 1908 , 1912; Philippines; Progressivism; Supreme Court. For events during Taft's administration, see Antitrust Movement; Asia-U.S. Relations; Ballinger-Pinchot Controversy; Caribbean-U.S. Relations; Dollar Diplomacy; Income Tax; Tariff.

Early Career

After graduating (1878) from Yale, he attended Cincinnati Law School. He received his law degree in 1880. He became a Cincinnati lawyer and soon had political posts as assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton co. (1881-83), assistant county solicitor (1885-87), and judge of the superior court of Ohio (1887-90). He became nationally prominent as a figure in Republican politics in 1890, when President Benjamin Harrison chose him as U.S. Solicitor General.

After service as a federal circuit judge (1892-1900) and as dean of the Cincinnati law school (1898-1900), he was appointed (1900) head of the commission sent to organize civil government in the Philippines, and he was named first civil governor of the Philippine Islands; he did much to better relations between Filipinos and Americans. In 1904 his friend President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft Secretary of War. Taft became a close adviser to the President and was prominent in Latin American affairs, conducting the delicate negotiations attending U.S. intervention in Cuba in 1906.

Presidency

Roosevelt chose Taft as his successor, and the Republican party named him as presidential candidate in the election of 1908, in which he defeated William Jennings Bryan. He was expected to continue Roosevelt's policies, and to a large extent he did. Trusts were vigorously prosecuted under the Sherman Antitrust Act; the Interstate Commerce Commission was strengthened by the Mann-Elkins Act (1910); and Taft's Latin American policy, known as "dollar diplomacy," was to an extent only an enlargement of Roosevelt's Panama policy and the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. The emphasis in all these policies had, however, changed. In Latin America, for instance, the accent was on protection of property and interests of Americans abroad rather than on national interest. Members of the Republican party who favored progressive policies were increasingly restive, and the Insurgents movement grew strong.

The administration made positive achievements in the inauguration of the postal savings bank (1910) and the parcel-post system (1912), and the creation of the Dept. of Labor (1911). Nevertheless, Taft was generally at odds with the progressive elements in his party: he failed to support the Insurgents' attempt to oust the dictatorial speaker of the House of Representatives, Joseph Cannon; he favored the Payne-Aldrich tariff, a high-tariff measure that was denounced by progressive Republicans; and he supported Richard Ballinger against Gifford Pinchot in the Ballinger-Pinchot controversy.

Meanwhile, Taft's relations with Roosevelt deteriorated, and the former President joined the opposition to Taft. In 1912, Roosevelt fought vigorously for the Republican presidential nomination. When he failed and Taft got the nomination, Roosevelt headed the Progressive party and ran in the election as the Progressive (popularly called the Bull Moose) candidate. The Republican vote was split, and the Democratic candidate, Woodrow Wilson, won.

Later Life

Taft retired from public life and taught law (1912-21) at Yale. He was cochairman (1918-19) of the War Labor Conference in World War I. In 1921, President Harding appointed him chief justice. His chief contribution to the Supreme Court was his administrative efficiency.

Bibliography

Taft's writings include The United States and Peace (1914) and Our Chief Magistrate and His Powers (1916). See Taft and Roosevelt: The Intimate Letters of Archie Butt (1930, repr. 1971); biographies by H. F. Pringle (1939, repr. 1964), J. I. Anderson (1981), and J. C. Casey (1989); A. T. Mason, William Howard Taft, Chief Justice (1965); P. E. Coletta, The Presidency of William Howard Taft (1973).

A political leader of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A Republican, Taft was president between 1909 and 1913. At the beginning of his presidency, he stayed close to the policies of Theodore Roosevelt, who had been president before him. Later, however, he turned to more conservative measures, such as a high protective tariff, and he lost popularity. In foreign policy, Taft advocated dollar diplomacy. He came in third in the election of 1912, running as a Republican, behind Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. In the 1920s, Taft served as chief justice of the Supreme Court.

William Howard Taft is the only person to serve as both president and chief justice of the United States. A gifted judge and administrator, Taft helped modernize the way the U.S. Supreme Court conducted its business and was the driving force behind the construction of the Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.

Taft was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father, Alphonso Taft, served as secretary of war and attorney general in President Ulysses S. Grant's administration. Taft graduated from Yale University in 1878 and earned a law degree from Cincinnati Law College (now University of Cincinnati College of Law) in 1880. He established a law practice in Cincinnati and served as prosecutor for Hamilton County, Ohio, from 1881 to 1882. Taft was assistant county solicitor from 1885 to 1887 and a superior court judge from 1887 to 1890.

Though only thirty-three years old, Taft lobbied President Benjamin Harrison for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court in 1890. Although Harrison demurred, he did make Taft U.S. solicitor general, the person who argues on behalf of the federal government before the Supreme Court. Taft won sixteen of the eighteen cases he argued before 1892, when Harrison appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The jurisdiction of the Sixth Circuit included Chicago and other industrialized cities of the Midwest, which were the scenes of conflict between laborunions and large manufacturing companies. Taft, like most conservative judges of his time, upheld the use of the labor injunction to prevent labor strikes and violence. The use of the injunction removed an important bargaining tool and seriously weakened labor unions. Taft, however, did believe workers had a right to organize and could legally strike, if the strike was peaceful.

Taft left the court in 1900 at the request of President William McKinley. In the aftermath of the Spanish-American War (1898), the United States had taken possession of the Philippine Islands. Taft was chosen to lead a commission that would help establish a civil government in the islands and end military rule. In 1901 he became the first civilian governor of the Philippines and drew praise from the Philippine people for his administration. Taft reluctantly returned to Washington in 1904 at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt to become secretary of war. As secretary, Taft supervised the construction of the Panama Canal, established the U.S. Canal Zone, and helped negotiate a treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.

When Roosevelt declined to run for another term in 1908, Taft was nominated as the Republican candidate. He easily defeated the Democratic candidate, William Jennings Bryan, in the general election and assumed office in 1909 as Roosevelt's political heir. Taft's administration proved to be lackluster at best, however. Though he was an able administrator, he lacked the political skills necessary to succeed in Washington. He alienated Roosevelt and other liberal Republicans by appeasing conservative Republicans, splitting the party in the process.

Taft did carry on Roosevelt's "trust-busting" initiatives, attacking business trusts under the ShermanAnti-Trust Act (15 U.S.C.A. §1 et seq.) and supporting the Mann-Elkins Act of 1910 (49 U.S.C.A. §1 et seq.), which gave more power to the Interstate CommerceCommission. He also established the Department of Labor. In foreign affairs Taft adopted a policy of "dollar diplomacy" as an economic substitute for military aid to underdeveloped countries.

Taft's political downfall began in 1910 with his support of Speaker of the House of Representatives Joseph Cannon, a conservative Republican who ran the House with an iron fist. Liberals had counted on Taft to help them break Cannon's power, but he refused. When Taft approved the development of Alaskan coal resources, he drew public criticism from Gifford A. Pinchot of the Forestry Service, a promoter of conservation and Roosevelt's close ally.

In 1912 Roosevelt ran against Taft for the Republican presidential nomination. When Taft won the endorsement, Roosevelt formed the Progressive party, effectively guaranteeing that Democrat Woodrow Wilson would be elected president. Taft carried only Utah and Vermont and split the Republican vote with Roosevelt, allowing Wilson to win handily.

After leaving the presidency, Taft became a law professor at Yale University. During World War I he served on the National War Labor Board and advocated the establishment of the League of Nations and U.S. participation in that world organization.

In 1921 President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft chief justice of the United States. On a Court dominated by conservatives, Taft usually went along with his brethren in striking down laws that sought to regulate business and labor practices.

Taft distinguished himself more as an administrator than as a judge. He developed and lobbied for the Judiciary Act of 1925, 43 Stat. 936, which gave the Court almost complete discretion over its docket. Under Taft the Court developed the writ of certiorari process, whereby a party files a petition seeking review by the Court. Because only a small fraction of these petitions are granted, the process has dramatically reduced the work of the Court. Taft also lobbied Congress for funds to construct a separate building for the Court. Although he did not live to see its completion, the Supreme Court Building, which was designed by Cass Gilbert, proved to be a lasting monument to Taft's administrative talents.

Taft's health began to fail in 1928, and he was forced to resign from the Court in February 1930. He died on March 8, 1930, in Washington, D.C.

Quotes:

"Politics, when I am in it, it makes me sick."

"Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution and the one which, united with that of personal liberty, has contributed more to the growth of civilization than any other institution established by the human race."

"Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of enlightened selfishness that to-day is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise and new activity."

"The trouble with me is that I like to talk too much."

"There is only one thing I wast to say about Ohio that has a political tinge, and that is that I think a mistake has been made of recent years in Ohio in failing to continue as our representatives the same people term after term. I do not need to tell a Washington audience, among whom there are certainly some who have been interested in legislation, that length of service in the House and in the Senate is what gives influence."

"Now, I am opposed to the franchise in the District [of Columbia]; I am opposed, and not because I yield to any one in my support and belief in the principles of self-government; but principles are applicable generally, and then, unless you make exceptions to the application of these principles, you will find that they will carry you to very illogical and absurd results. This was taken out of the application of the principle of self-government in the very Constitution that was intended to put that in force in every other part of the country, and it was done because it was intended to have the representatives of all the people in the country control this one city, and to prevent its being controlled by the parochial spirit that would necessarily govern men who did not look beyond the city to the grandeur of the nation, and this as the representative of that nation."

See more famous quotes by William Howard Taft

"William Taft" redirects here. For other uses, see William Taft (disambiguation).

William Howard Taft
27th President of the United States
In office March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913
Vice President	James Sherman
Preceded by	Theodore Roosevelt
Succeeded by	Woodrow Wilson
10th Chief Justice of the United States
In office July 11, 1921[1] – February 3, 1930
Nominated by	Warren Harding
Preceded by	Edward White
Succeeded by	Charles Hughes
Provisional Governor of Cuba
In office September 29, 1906 – October 13, 1906
Appointed by	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	Tomás Estrada Palma (President)
Succeeded by	Charles Magoon
42nd United States Secretary of War
In office February 1, 1904 – June 30, 1908
President	Theodore Roosevelt
Preceded by	Elihu Root
Succeeded by	Luke Wright
Governor-General of the Philippines
In office July 4, 1901 – December 23, 1903
Appointed by	William McKinley
Preceded by	Arthur MacArthur
Succeeded by	Luke Wright
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
In office March 17, 1892 – March 15, 1900
Nominated by	Benjamin Harrison
Preceded by	Seat established
Succeeded by	Henry Severens
5th United States Solicitor General
In office February 1890 – March 1892
President	Benjamin Harrison
Preceded by	Orlow Chapman
Succeeded by	Charles Aldrich
Personal details
Born	(1857-09-15)September 15, 1857 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Died	March 8, 1930(1930-03-08) (aged 72) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Helen Herron
Children	Robert Helen Charles
Alma mater	Yale University University of Cincinnati
Profession	Lawyer Jurist
Religion	Unitarianism
Signature

William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 – March 8, 1930) was the 27th President of the United States (1909–1913) and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States (1921–1930). He is the only person to have served in both of these two offices.

Before becoming President, Taft was selected to serve on the Ohio Superior Court in 1887. In 1890, Taft was appointed Solicitor General of the United States and in 1891 a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In 1900, President William McKinley appointed Taft Governor-General of the Philippines. In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft Secretary of War in an effort to groom Taft, then his close political ally, into his handpicked presidential successor. Taft assumed a prominent role in problem solving, assuming on some occasions the role of acting Secretary of State, while declining repeated offers from Roosevelt to serve on the Supreme Court.

Riding a wave of popular support for fellow Republican Roosevelt, Taft won an easy victory in his 1908 bid for the presidency.^[2]

In his only term, Taft's domestic agenda emphasized trust-busting, civil service reform, strengthening the Interstate Commerce Commission, improving the performance of the postal service, and passage of the Sixteenth Amendment. Abroad, Taft sought to further the economic development of nations in Latin America and Asia through "Dollar Diplomacy", and showed masterful decisiveness and restraint in response to revolution in Mexico. The task-oriented Taft was oblivious to the political ramifications of his decisions, often alienated his own key constituencies, and was overwhelmingly defeated in his bid for a second term in the presidential election of 1912. In surveys of presidential scholars, Taft is usually ranked in the second or third quartile of all Presidents.

After leaving office, Taft spent his time in academia, arbitration, and the search for world peace through his self-founded League to Enforce Peace. In 1921, after the First World War, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft Chief Justice of the United States. Taft served in this capacity until shortly before his death in 1930.

Contents 1 Early life and education 1.1 Legal career and early politics 2 Secretary of War (1904–1908) 3 Presidential election of 1908 4 Presidency, 1909–1913 4.1 Domestic policies and politics 4.1.1 Corporate income tax 4.1.2 Blacks and immigrants 4.2 Foreign policy 4.3 1912 presidential campaign and election 4.4 Administration and cabinet 4.5 Judicial appointments 4.5.1 Supreme Court 4.5.2 Other courts 4.6 States admitted to the Union 5 Post-presidency 6 Chief Justice, 1921–1930 6.1 Nomination 6.2 Accomplishments 6.3 Opinions 7 Medical condition 8 Death and legacy 9 Media 10 See also 11 Notes 12 References 13 External links

Early life and education

Yale College photograph of Taft

William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857, near Cincinnati, Ohio as ^[3]the son of Louisa Torrey and Alphonso Taft. His paternal grandfather was Peter Rawson Taft, a descendant of Robert Taft I, the first Taft in America, who settled in Colonial Massachusetts. Alphonso Taft went to Cincinnati in 1839 to open a law practice,^[4] and was a prominent Republican who served as Secretary of War and Attorney General under President Ulysses S. Grant.^[5]

Young William attended Cincinnati's First Congregational-Unitarian Church with his parents; he joined the congregation at an early age and was an enthusiastic participant. As he rose in the government, he spent little time in Cincinnati. He attended the church much less frequently than he had but worshiped there when he could.^[6]

Taft attended Woodward High School in Cincinnati, and laid the cornerstone of the new Woodward High School, now the site of the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA).^[7] Like others in his family, he attended Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut.^[8] At Yale, he was a member of the Linonian Society, a literary and debating society; Skull and Bones, the secret society co-founded by his father in 1832; and the Beta chapter of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He was given the nickname "Big Lub" because of his size, but his college friends knew him by the nickname "Old Bill".^[9] Taft received comments, sometimes humorous, about his weight.^[10] Making positive use of his stature, Taft was Yale's intramural heavyweight wrestling champion.^[11] In 1878, Taft graduated, ranking second in his class out of 121.^[9] After college, he attended Cincinnati Law School, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws in 1880. While in law school, he worked on the area newspaper The Cincinnati Commercial.^[9]

Legal career and early politics

Helen Herron Taft

After admission to the Ohio bar, Taft was appointed Assistant Prosecutor of Hamilton County, Ohio,^[12] based in Cincinnati. In 1882, he was appointed local Collector of Internal Revenue.^[13] Taft married his longtime sweetheart, Helen Herron, in Cincinnati in 1886.^[12] In 1887, he was appointed a judge of the Ohio Superior Court.^[12] In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison appointed him Solicitor General of the United States;^[12] at age 32, he was the youngest-ever Solicitor General.^[14] Taft then began serving on the newly created United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 1891;^[12] he was confirmed by the Senate on March 17, 1892, and received his commission that same day.^[15] In about 1893, Taft decided in favor of the processing aluminium patents belonging to the Pittsburgh Reduction Company, now known as Alcoa.^[16] Along with his judgeship, between 1896 and 1900 Taft also served as the first dean and a professor of constitutional law at the University of Cincinnati.^[17]

In 1900, President William McKinley appointed Taft chairman of a commission to organize a civilian government in the Philippines which had been ceded to the United States by Spain following the Spanish–American War and the 1898 Treaty of Paris.^[12] Although Taft had been opposed to the annexation of the islands, and had told McKinley his real ambition was to become a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, he reluctantly accepted the appointment.^[18][19]

From 1901 to 1903, Taft served as the first civilian Governor-General of the Philippines, a position in which he was very popular with both Americans and Filipinos.^[18] In 1902, Taft visited Rome to negotiate with Pope Leo XIII for the purchase of Philippine lands owned by the Roman Catholic Church. Taft then persuaded Congress to appropriate more than $7 million to purchase these lands, which he sold to Filipinos on easy terms.^[18] In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt offered Taft the seat on the Supreme Court to which he had for so long aspired, but he reluctantly declined since he viewed the Filipinos as not yet being capable of governing themselves and because of his popularity among them.^[18] This decision was one among many in Taft's career which demonstrated a compulsive dedication to the job at hand, without regard to his self interest. (Roosevelt actually made the offer of a seat on the Court on several different occasions, being met with a decline every time.^[20]) This dedication to the task at hand was the source of much frustration of his political colleagues.^[21] According to biographer Anderson, contrary to the belief of Roosevelt and other allies, Taft's role as Governor-General in the Philippines did not serve to equip him with the political skills essential for the White House.^[22]

Secretary of War (1904–1908)

William Howard Taft addressing the audience at the Philippine Assembly in the Manila Grand Opera House.

In 1904, Roosevelt appointed Taft as Secretary of War.^[12] This appointment allowed Taft to remain involved in the Philippines and Roosevelt also assured Taft he would support his later appointment to the Court, while Taft agreed to support Roosevelt in the Presidential election of 1904.^[23] Roosevelt made the basic policy decisions regarding military affairs, using Taft as a well-traveled spokesman who campaigned for Roosevelt's reelection in 1904. Of Taft's appointment, Roosevelt said, "If only there were three of you; I could appoint one of you to the Court, one to the War Department and one to the Philippines." ^[23] Taft met with the Emperor of Japan who alerted him of the probability of war with Russia. In 1905, Taft met with Japanese Prime Minister Katsura Tarō. At that meeting, the two signed a secret diplomatic memorandum now called the Taft–Katsura Agreement. Contrary to rumor, the memorandum did not establish any new policies but instead repeated the public positions of both nations.^[24]

In 1906, President Roosevelt sent troops to restore order in Cuba during the revolt led by General Enrique Loynaz del Castillo, and Taft temporarily became the Civil Governor of Cuba, personally negotiating with Castillo for a peaceful end to the revolt. Also in that year Roosevelt made his third offer to Taft of a position on the Court which he again declined out of a sense of duty to resolve pending issues in the Philippines. Had it been for the Chief Justice seat, a different result may well have ensued.^[25]

Taft indicated to Roosevelt he wanted to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, not President, but there was no vacancy and Roosevelt had other plans – in 1907 he began touting Taft as the best choice for the Presidential nomination by the party.^[25] Taft's spouse was determined to gain the White House and pressured him not to accept a court appointment; other family members also strongly favored the Presidency for him.^[26] He gave Taft more responsibilities along with the Philippines and the Panama Canal. For a while, Taft was Acting Secretary of State. When Roosevelt was away, Taft was, in effect, the Acting President. While serving as the War Secretary Taft generally concentrated on major developments, including the Philippines and the Panama Canal, to the detriment of departmental housekeeping problems, including factionalism within the Department, of which Roosevelt was aware.^[27] In 1907 the Hay-Bunace-Varilla Treaty granted the U.S. construction rights for the Panama Canal, which Roosevelt delegated to the War Department, and Taft thereby supervised the beginning of construction on the Canal.^[28] Taft promoted a reduction in the tariffs on sugar and tobacco in the Philippines, a position with which Roosevelt disagreed; Taft offered to resign but this was refused by Roosevelt.^[29] Taft also had a disagreement with Roosevelt over the latter's conclusion of an executive agreement with the Dominican Republic, in lieu of what Taft thought should have been a treaty, requiring ratification by the Senate. Roosevelt dismissed the complaint as "trifling", and Taft, in his usual style, let it go.^[30]

Presidential election of 1908

See also: United States presidential election, 1908

Electoral votes by state, 1908.

After serving for nearly two full terms, the popular Theodore Roosevelt refused to run in the election of 1908, a decision that he later regretted. Taft was the logical successor, but he was initially reluctant to run, as he had been earlier. As a member of Roosevelt's cabinet, he had declared that his future ambition was to serve on the Supreme Court, not the White House. Taft's efforts in stumping for the party in the 1906 mid-term elections made him aware of his deficiencies as an effective campaigner. Mrs. Taft even commented during this time, "never did he cease to regard a Supreme Court appointment as more desirable than the presidency."^[31] But,Taft conceded, with his extensive involvement as the most prominent member of the cabinet, that he was the most "available" man;^[32] thus he agreed that were he to be nominated for president, he would put his personal convictions aside and run a vigorous campaign.^[33]

At the time, Roosevelt was convinced that Taft was a genuine "progressive" and helped push through the nomination of his Secretary of War onto the Republican ticket on the first ballot at the party convention.^[34] His opponent in the general election was William Jennings Bryan, who had run for president twice before, in 1896 and in 1900 against William McKinley. During the campaign, Taft undercut Bryan's liberal support by accepting some of his reformist ideas, and Roosevelt's progressive policies blurred the distinctions between the parties. Bryan, on the other hand, ran an aggressive campaign against the nation's business elite. The democrats referred to Taft's nomination and potential election, pre-determined by the powerful Roosevelt, as a possible "forced succession to the presidency."

It did not take long for Taft's markedly different style, and lack of political acumen, to emerge. Joseph B. Foraker of Ohio, seeking Taft's support in his senatorial re-election, made an appearance with Taft, creating the impression Taft was allied with the big business trusts. And when Taft failed to follow the Hearst papers in denouncing Foraker's association with them, Roosevelt became incensed.^[35] Taft also showed his political ineptness by choosing Frank Hitchcock to be Chairman of the Republican Party. Hitchcock was quick to bring in men closely allied with big business, which further alienated the progressive wing of the party.^[36] Despite the difference in styles, Taft had demonstrated for the most part that the substance of his policies echoed those of Roosevelt.^[37] In the end, Taft won by a comfortable electoral margin, giving Bryan his worst loss in three presidential campaigns. Taft defeated Bryan by 159 electoral votes; however, he garnered just 51% of the popular vote.^[38] Mrs. Taft was quoted quite prophetically, saying that, "There was nothing to criticize, except his not knowing or caring about the way the game of politics is played."^[39]

Presidency, 1909–1913

Taft did not enjoy the easy relationship with the press that Roosevelt had, choosing not to offer himself for interviews or photo opportunities as often as the previous president had done.^[40] When a reporter informed him he was no Teddy Roosevelt, Taft replied that his main goal was to "try to accomplish just as much without any noise".^[40] Taft even made executive decisions (see below) demonstrating his indifference with the press. Indeed, Taft's administration marked a change in style from the political charisma of Roosevelt to the passion of Taft for the rule of law.^[41] Taft, in fashioning his cabinet, showed also that he was not unwilling to depart to some degree from Roosevelt's progressivism; he named an anti-progressive, Philander Chase Knox Secretary of State, who had primary influence over other appointments.^[42]

Taft considered himself a progressive, in part from his belief in an expansive use of the rule of law, as the prevailing device that should be actively used by judges and others in authority to solve society's, and even the world's, problems. But his devotion to the law also often made Taft a slave to precedent, and less adroit in politics than Roosevelt; he therefore lacked the flexibility, creativity and personal magnetism of his mentor, not to mention the publicity devices, the dedicated supporters, and the broad base of public support that made Roosevelt so formidable.

The divergent views of the two men over the powers of the executive is well articulated in their respective memoirs. In summary, Roosevelt for his part believed 'the President has not just a right but a duty to do anything demanded by the needs of the nation, unless such action is forbidden by the Constitution or federal law." Taft's general opinion on the other hand was that "the President can exercise no power which cannot fairly be traced to some specific grant of power in the Constitution or act of Congress."^[43]

Domestic policies and politics

Official White House portrait of William Howard Taft (1911)

When Roosevelt realized that lowering the tariff would divide the Republican Party, he assumed a low profile on that issue. Taft ignored the political effects and kept the tariff rates on his agenda (he had raised expectations of lower rates in the campaign); he passively encouraged congressional reformers to draft bills including lower rates, while broadcasting a willingness to compromise with conservative leaders in the Congress, who wanted to keep tariff rates high. Taft described this approach as his "policy of harmony" with the Congress.^[44] The President displayed a more aggressive role early in the drafting of tariff legislation as it regarded the Philippines. He also assumed a similar role in pushing for a corporate income tax. On other matters, he was content to wait until legislation reached its final stage in a joint House–Senate conference committee. Once there, however, he jumped in with both feet, calling each and every member of the committee for a one-on-one meeting at the White House.^[44] The resulting tariff rates in the Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909 were too high for the progressives, based in part on Taft's campaign promises; but instead of blaming the act's shortcomings on Senator Nelson W. Aldrich and big business, Taft claimed the responsibility, calling it the best bill to come from the Republican Party. Again, due to his results-oriented style, politically he had managed to alienate all sides.^[45] The Bureau of Trade Relations later concluded the act overall was moderately successful in lowering rates.^[46] Congress refused however to fund the Tariff Board which the President included in the Payne–Aldrich Bill, which would have removed the setting of rates from direct continual Congressional manipulation.^[47]

Taft was less likely to speak critically of big business than Roosevelt. Nevertheless, his rule of law orientation resulted in the filing of 90 antitrust suits during his administration, compared to 54 such suits by Roosevelt's two-term Justice Department. Taft's efforts included one suit against the country's largest corporation, U.S. Steel, for the acquisition of a Tennessee company during Roosevelt's tenure.^[48] The lawsuit even named Roosevelt personally without Taft's knowledge. This was responsible for a complete break with Roosevelt.^[49] Progressives within the Republican Party began to actively oppose against Taft. Senator Robert LaFollette of Wisconsin created the National Progressive Republican League to replace Taft on the national level; although, his campaign crashed after a disastrous speech. Most of LaFollette's supporters went over to Roosevelt. The business community and the conservative wing of the party were also alienated from Taft and contributions to the GOP dried up.^[50]

Taft's administration got a political boost after 25 western railroads announced an intent to raise rates by 20%, and Taft responded, first with a threat to enforce the Sherman Antitrust Act against them; he then negotiated a settlement whereby they agreed to submit delayed rate requests to a new Interstate Commerce Commission having authority over rate requests.^[51]

In late 1911, President Taft called for a “central organization in touch with associations and chambers of commerce throughout the country.” Just four months later, on April 12, 1912, Taft created the United States Chamber of Commerce as a counterbalance to the rise of the labor movement at the time.^[52]

Taft's obsession with the law over politics created more trouble for him in the well noted dispute between his Interior Secretary, Richard Achilles Ballinger, and the Chief of the Forestry Service, Gifford Pinchot. Ballinger's job was to assure the proper legal form of land withdrawals made from the private sector as part of Roosevelt's conservation policy. Ballinger's review in many instances concluded that the legalities were lacking and lands had to be returned to private owners. Pinchot led the objections to these returns, and even convinced an Interior Department subordinate, Louis Glavis, to bring an accusation against Ballinger for fraud and collusion with corporate timber interests.^[53] Taft refused to intervene until the resulting discord in the cabinet forced him to act. The President reviewed the matter, then fired Glavis and Pinchot; Ballinger also tendered his resignation, which would have further served to end the matter, but Taft refused for the longest time^{[clarification needed]} before accepting it. By that time the political damage had been done, with further alienation of the Progressives from the administration.^[54]

Taft, ever reluctant to dismiss cabinet members, nevertheless used the resignations of Ballinger and War Secretary Dickinson to modify the complexion of the cabinet by appointing more progressive Republicans. Walter L. Fisher, from the National Conservation League and an ally of Pinchot, replaced Ballinger. Henry L. Stimson, another progressive, replaced Dickinson.^[55] Taft's overriding concern in making most appointments, however, was ability and experience, not party or faction alignment. This was particularly the case with respect to judiciary appointments, specifically in the south, where Taft felt the courts were the weakest.^[56] Taft's high standards, which reduced the influence of Senatorial courtesy in the selection process, resulted in the placement of over one hundred well qualified federal judges.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, in the process Taft passed up yet another opportunity to embolden himself politically through the use of patronage.^[57]

In the area of federal spending, Taft initiated reforms which would revolutionize the Executive's role in the federal government's budget process. Previously, each executive department presented to the Treasury Dept. its own expense estimates, which were then forwarded to the Congress. Taft ordered each department to begin submitting its requests to the cabinet for review. The first such round of requests and cabinet reviews resulted in a reduction of $92 million, representing the first actual presidential budget in modern history.^[58] Taft then requested, and received, approval and funding to create the Commission on Economy and Efficiency to study the budgeting process. The study recommended the President be required early in the Congressional session to present the legislature with a comprehensive budget. This recommendation ultimately became law with passage of the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921.^[59]

Taft's "policy of harmony" with Congress facilitated passage of most of his legislative program. Nevertheless, in the 1910 midterm elections, the Democrats assumed control of the House for the first time in 16 years. At the same time, in the Senate, while the Republicans retained their majority, they lost 8 seats.^[60]

Corporate income tax

To solve an impasse during the 1909 tariff debate, Taft proposed income taxes for corporations and a constitutional amendment to remove the apportionment requirement for taxes on incomes from property (taxes on dividends, interest, and rents), on June 16, 1909.^[61] His proposed tax on corporate net income was 1% on net profits over $5,000. It was designated an excise on the privilege of doing business as a corporation whose stockholders enjoyed the privilege of limited liability, and not a tax on incomes as such. In 1911, the Supreme Court, in Flint v. Stone Tracy Co., upheld the tax. Receipts grew from $21 million in the fiscal year 1910 to $34.8 million in 1912.

In July 1909, a proposed amendment to allow the federal government to tax incomes was passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 318 to 14 in the House. It was quickly ratified by the states, and on February 3, 1913, it became a part of the Constitution as the Sixteenth Amendment.

Blacks and immigrants

Taft met with and publicly endorsed Booker T. Washington's program for uplifting the African American race, advising them to stay out of politics at the time and emphasize education and entrepreneurship. A supporter of free immigration, Taft vetoed a law passed by Congress and supported by labor unions that would have restricted unskilled laborers by imposing a literacy test.^[62]

Foreign policy

President William Howard Taft.

The President surprised the diplomatic arena with his early dismissal of one of the State Department's most experienced diplomats, Henry White, the Ambassador to France. The only suspected reason for this decision was that White was thought to have somehow slighted the President and his wife 25 years earlier on their honeymoon in Europe. Taft was oblivious to the serious damage that this decision caused his political reputation.^[63] (The following year White accepted Taft's appointment to head a delegation to the Pan-American Conference in Buenos Aires.)

The President made it a top priority to reorganize the State Department, saying, "It is organized on the basis of the needs of the government in 1800 instead of 1900."^[64] The Department was for the first time organized into geographical divisions, including the Far East, the Near East, Latin America and Western Europe. This reorganization was engineered in large part by Secretary of State Knox's First Assistant Secretary, Huntington Wilson, who served as de facto Secretary of State due to the frequent absence of Knox. Again displaying his inept administrative leadership, Taft, while not sharing any of Knox's respect for Wilson's ability, deferred to much of Wilson's policy making.^[65]

The President personally engaged in talks with the Chinese to provide American assistance in the expansion of the Chinese railroad industry; this was accomplished through participation in the multi-national Hukuang Loan. The effort was dubbed "shirt sleeves diplomacy".^[66] Initial success in China led to an extended effort by the President to effect the Open Door Policy, particularly in Manchuria; this was not successful due in large part to the President's reliance on the inexperienced Knox, who failed to properly assess the objections of Japan and Russia.^[67]

Taft actively promoted the nation's role in the economic development of Latin America, specifically through the Honduras and Nicaragua conventions. The concept, referred to as "Dollar Diplomacy", called for the State Department to coordinate loans to the countries for infrastructure improvement from the largest banks in the U.S. Strategically, this was designed to strengthen security for the Panama Canal, increase American trade, and diminish the presence of European nations in the area. Progressives and Insurgent Republicans in the Senate opposed the Wall Street connection, so the effort was largely a failure.^[68] The President was more successful in Argentina, where agreements were reached whereby the U.S. provided loans to enable Argentina to acquire battleships; some naval construction and design secrets were sacrificed in the arrangement.^[69]

Another of Taft's goals was the furtherance of world peace. He believed that international arbitration between adversarial nations could be utilized as the best means to avoid armed conflict. This was a logical extension of his boundless faith in the rule of law as a Progressive, and it therefore even superseded U.S nationalism as embodied in the Constitution. Hence, he found no objection to surrendering to an international body jurisdiction over the nation's rights in international affairs. As a result, he championed arbitration treaties with Britain and France.^[70] The Senate was not prepared to make such a surrender of the nation's interests, and approved the treaties but only with modifications that provided the Senate with a veto over any decisions made in arbitration.^[71]

In the 1911 Congressional session Taft's most potentially notable achievement was approval of a reciprocity agreement with Canada which proposed to drastically lower trade barriers. The passage was accomplished with the cooperation of some Democrats, and at a considerable cost of Republican unity.^[72] The President confessed to Roosevelt "I think it may break the Republican party for a while." Taft also responded to criticism from party leaders, saying, "I do not give a tinker's damn whether it injures my political prospects or not."^[73] Despite the potential benefits of the agreement to the country, which Roosevelt as well understood and anticipated, all was for naught when the Canadian legislature refused to approve it.^[74]

No foreign affairs controversy tested Taft's statesmanship and commitment to peace more than the uprising in Mexico against the authoritarian regime of the aging Porfirio Diaz, which had attracted billions in capital investment for economic development, much of it from the U.S.^[75] Anti-regime (and anti-American) riots began in 1910 and were reported by Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson to Knox, who failed to pass the information on to the President. Some months later Wilson met with Taft (Knox was out of town on vacation), and upon hearing the information, the President immediately and unilaterally ordered a mobilization of 25,000 troops to the Mexican border as well as naval maneuvers in the Gulf of Mexico. Taft publicly directed that no intervention of troops into Mexico was to occur without Congressional authorization.^[76] The President's restraint in the name of peace was difficult to maintain; in Arizona two citizens were killed and almost a dozen injured as a result of the uprising; but Taft would not be goaded into fighting and so instructed the Arizona governor.^[77]

1912 presidential campaign and election

See also: United States presidential election, 1912

Taft and Roosevelt – political enemies in 1912

The results of the 1910 elections made it clear to the President that Roosevelt had departed his camp, and that he might even contend for the party nomination in 1912.^[78] On his return from Europe, Roosevelt openly broke with Taft in one of the notable political feuds of the 20th century. To the surprise of observers who thought Roosevelt had unstoppable momentum, Taft determined he would not simply step aside for the popular ex-President, despite the diminished support he had in the party. Taft acknowledged this, saying, "the longer I am President, the less of a party man I seem to become."^[79] Roosevelt declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in February 1912; Taft soon decided that he would focus on canvassing for delegates and not attempt at the outset to take on the more able campaigner one on one.^[80] As Roosevelt became more radical in his progressivism, Taft was hardened in his resolve to achieve re-nomination, as he was convinced that the Progressives threatened the very foundation of the government.^[81] Taft ultimately outmaneuvered Roosevelt and Senator Robert M. La Follette, Sr. in delegate count, regained control of the GOP convention; and defeated Roosevelt for the nomination.^[82]

Roosevelt and his group of disgruntled party delegates and members bolted from the party to create the Progressive Party (or "Bull Moose") ticket, splitting the Republican vote in the 1912 election.^[83] Taft thought that, despite probable defeat, the party had been preserved as "the defender of conservative government and conservative institutions." He also felt that the expected defeat would remind the party of the need for self-discipline in the face of populist rancor.^[84] Woodrow Wilson, the Democrat, was elected with 41% of the popular vote; Roosevelt got 27%, and Taft garnered 25%. Taft won a mere eight electoral votes, in Utah and Vermont, making it the worst defeat in American history of an incumbent President seeking reelection.^[85]

The defeated President had long ago acknowledged his weakness as a campaigner and as well his failure to do the necessary political housekeeping when decisions were made. He also refused to recognize the need to publicize his policies and decisions, saying "After I have made a definite statement, I have to let it go at that until the time for action arises."^[86] Taft's indifference towards the press even extended to legislation, where he failed to recognize the press' need for reduced tariffs on print paper and wood pulp.^[87] He further alienated the press when recommending that a deficit in the post office be reduced by eliminating the lower second class rates afforded to magazines and newspapers.^[88] Taft commented as follows on the state of his party after the election, "...it behooves the Republicans to gather again to the party standard and pledge anew their faith in their party's principles and to organize again to defend the constitutional government handed down to us by our fathers. Without compromising our principles, we must convince and win back former Republicans, and we must reinforce our ranks with Constitution-loving Democrats." ^[89]

In spite of his failure to be re-elected, Taft achieved what he felt were his main goals as President: keeping permanent control of the party and keeping the courts sacrosanct until they were next threatened. While the strife during the election of 1912 devastated the once very close friendship between Taft and Theodore Roosevelt, the two eventually did reconcile not long before Roosevelt's death in 1919.^[90]

Administration and cabinet

OFFICE	NAME	TERM
President	William Howard Taft	1909–1913
Vice President	James S. Sherman	1909–1912
	None	1912–1913
Secretary of State	Philander C. Knox	1909–1913
Secretary of the Treasury	Franklin MacVeagh	1909–1913
Secretary of War	Jacob M. Dickinson	1909–1911
	Henry L. Stimson	1911–1913
Attorney General	George W. Wickersham	1909–1913
Postmaster General	Frank H. Hitchcock	1909–1913
Secretary of the Navy	George von L. Meyer	1909–1913
Secretary of the Interior	Richard A. Ballinger	1909–1911
	Walter L. Fisher	1911–1913
Secretary of Agriculture	James Wilson	1909–1913
Secretary of Commerce & Labor	Charles Nagel	1909–1913

Judicial appointments

Supreme Court

During his presidency, Taft appointed the following Justices to the Supreme Court of the United States:

• Horace Harmon Lurton – 1910

Lurton had served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit with Taft, and Taft's attorney general said that at 66, he was too old to become a Supreme Court justice, but Taft had always admired Lurton. According to the Complete Book of U.S. Presidents (2001 edition), Taft later said that "the chief pleasure of my administration" was the appointment of Lurton.

• Charles Evans Hughes – 1910

Even though Hughes resigned in 1916 to run in the presidential election that year, he became Taft's successor as Chief Justice.

• Edward Douglass White – Chief Justice – 1910

Already on the Court as an associate justice since 1894, White was the first Chief Justice to be elevated from an associate justiceship since President George Washington appointed John Rutledge to Chief Justice in 1795. Taft succeeded White as Chief Justice in 1921.

• Willis Van Devanter – 1911
• Joseph Rucker Lamar – 1911
• Mahlon Pitney – 1912

Taft's six appointments to the Court rank below only those of George Washington (who appointed all six justices to the first Court), and of Franklin D. Roosevelt (who was president for just over twelve years). Taft's appointment of five new justices tied the number appointed by both Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Four of Taft's appointees were relatively young, aged 48, 51, 53, and 54.

The appointments of Edward Douglass White and Charles Evans Hughes also are notable because Taft essentially appointed both his predecessor and successor Chief Justices, respectively. Hughes initially was appointed an Associate Justice, but later resigned to run for the Republican Party's presidential candidate in the 1916 election, which he would lose. President Herbert Hoover renominated Hughes to the Supreme Court as Chief Justice following Taft's retirement.

Other courts

Main article: William Howard Taft judicial appointments

Besides his Supreme Court appointments, Taft appointed 13 judges to the United States Courts of Appeals, and 38 judges to the United States district courts. Taft also appointed judges to various specialty courts, including the first five appointees each to the United States Commerce Court and the United States Court of Customs Appeals. The Commerce Court was abolished in 1913; Taft was thus the only President to appoint judges to that body.

States admitted to the Union

• New Mexico: January 6, 1912
• Arizona: Taft insisted on removing the recall provision for judges of the state constitution before he would approve it; It was removed, Taft signed the statehood bill on February 14, 1912, and state residents promptly put the provision back in.^[91]

Post-presidency

Upon leaving the White House in 1913, Taft was appointed the Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and Legal History at Yale Law School.^[8] While at Yale, Taft was initiated as an honorary member of the Acacia Fraternity. At the same time, Taft was elected president of the American Bar Association. He spent much of his time writing newspaper articles and books, most notably his series on American legal philosophy. He was a vigorous opponent of prohibition in the United States, predicting the undesirable situation that the Eighteenth Amendment and prohibition would create.^[92] He also continued to advocate world peace through international arbitration, urging nations to enter into arbitration treaties with each other and promoting the idea of a League of Nations even before the First World War began. Taft was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1914.^[93]

When World War I did break out in Europe in 1914, however, Taft founded the League to Enforce Peace. He was a co-chairman of the powerful National War Labor Board between 1917 and 1918. Although he continually advocated peace, he strongly favored conscription once the United States entered the War, pleading publicly that the United States not fight a "finicky" war. He feared the war would be long, but was for fighting it out to a finish, given what he viewed as "Germany's brutality."

Chief Justice, 1921–1930

Nomination

On June 30, 1921, following the death of Chief Justice Edward Douglass White, President Warren G. Harding nominated Taft to take his place. For a man who had once remarked, "there is nothing I would have loved more than being chief justice of the United States" the nomination to oversee the highest court in the land was like a dream come true.^[94] There was little opposition to the nomination, and the Senate approved him 60-4 in a secret session on the day of his nomination, but the roll call of the vote has never been made public.^[95] Taft received his commission immediately and readily took up the position, taking the oath of office on July 11, and serving until 1930. As such, he became the only President to serve as Chief Justice, and thus the only former President to swear in subsequent Presidents, giving the oath of office to both Calvin Coolidge (in 1925) and Herbert Hoover (in 1929).

Taft enjoyed his years on the court and was respected by his peers. Justice Felix Frankfurter once remarked to Justice Louis Brandeis that it was "difficult for me to understand why a man who is so good a Chief Justice...could have been so bad as President.^[94] Taft remains the only person to have led both the Executive and Judicial branches of the United States government. He considered his time as Chief Justice to be the highest point of his career; allegedly, he once remarked "I do not remember that I was ever President".^[96]

Chief Justice Taft with President Warren G. Harding and former Secretary of War Robert Todd Lincoln, around 1922

Accomplishments

In 1922, Taft traveled to Great Britain to study the procedural structure of the English courts and to learn how they dropped such a large number of cases quickly. During the trip, King George V and Queen Mary received Taft and his wife as state visitors.

With what he had learned in England, Taft decided to advocate the introduction and passage of the Judiciary Act of 1925, which shifts the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction to be largely discretionary upon review of litigants' petitioning to be granted an appeal (see also writ of certiorari). This allowed the Supreme Court to give preference to what they believed to be cases of national importance and allowed the Court to work more efficiently.

Besides giving the Supreme Court more control over its docket, supporting new legislation, and organizing the Judicial Conference, Taft gave the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice general supervisory power over the scattered and disorganized federal courts.

The legislation also brought the courts of the District of Columbia and of the Territories (and soon, the Commonwealths of the Philippines and Puerto Rico) into the Federal Court system. This united the courts for the first time as an independent third branch of government under the administrative supervision of the Chief Justice. Taft was also the first Justice to employ two full-time law clerks to assist him.

In 1929, Taft successfully argued in favor of the construction of the first separate and spacious United States Supreme Court building (the one that is still in use now), reasoning that the Supreme Court needed to distance itself from the Congress as a separate branch of the Federal Government. Until then, the Court had heard cases in Old Senate Chamber of the Capitol Building. The Justices had no private chambers there, and their conferences were held in a room in the Capitol's basement. The building was completed in 1935, five years after Taft's death.

Opinions

See also: List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Taft Court

While Chief Justice, Taft wrote the opinion for the Court in 256 cases out of the Court's ever-growing caseload. His philosophy of constitutional interpretation was essentially historical contextualism. Some of his more notable opinions include:

The U.S. Supreme Court in 1925. Taft is seated in the bottom row, middle.

• Balzac v. Porto Rico, 258 U.S. 298 (1922) (opinion for the Court)
  • Ruling that the Fourteenth Amendment did not apply the criminal provisions of the Bill of Rights to overseas territories. This was one of the more famous of the Insular Cases.
• Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Co., 259 U.S. 20 (1922) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding the 1919 Child Labor Tax Law unconstitutional.
• Hill v. Wallace, 259 U.S. 44 (1922) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding the Future Trading Act an unconstitutional use of Congress's taxing power
• Adkins v. Children's Hospital, 261 U.S. 525 (1923) (dissenting opinion)
  • Disapproving of the Court's upholding of Lochner v. New York. In 1937, the Supreme Court agreed with Taft and overruled this decision permanently.
• Board of Trade of City of Chicago v. Olsen, 262 U.S. 1 (1923) (opinion for the Court)
  • Upholding the constitutionality of the Grain Futures Act under the Commerce Clause
• Ex Parte Grossman, 267 U.S. 87 (1925) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding that the President's pardon power extends to pardoning people held for criminal contempt. While the Supreme Court rules provide for issuing writs of habeas corpus within the Court's original jurisdiction, Taft's opinion in Grossman was the last time the Court did so.^[97]
• Carroll v. United States, 267 U.S. 132 (1925) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding that police searches of automobiles without a warrant do not violate the Fourth Amendment when the police have probable cause to believe that contraband would be found in the automobile
• Myers v. United States, 272 U.S. 52 (1926) (opinion for the Court)
  • Ruling that the President of the United States had the power to unilaterally dismiss Executive Branch appointees who had been confirmed by the Senate.
• United States v. General Electric Co., 272 U.S. 476 (1926) (opinion for the Court)
  • Ruling that a patentee who has granted a single license to a competitor to manufacture the patented product may lawfully fix the price at which the licensee may sell the product.
• Lum v. Rice, 275 U.S. 78 (1927) (opinion for the Court)
  • Ruling that the Fourteenth Amendment did not prohibit Mississippi's prevention of Asian children attending white schools during racial segregation. The Supreme Court overruled this opinion in 1954.
• Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 438 (1928) (opinion for the Court)
  • Ruling that the judicial practice of excluding evidence obtained without a warrant was based on the Fourth Amendment's proscription on unreasonable search and seizure but did not apply to telephone wiretapping.
• Wisconsin v. Illinois, 278 U.S. 367 (1929) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding that the equitable power of the United States can be used to impose positive action on the states in a situation where non-action would result in damage to the interests of other states.
• Old Colony Trust Co. v. Commissioner, 279 U.S. 716 (1929) (opinion for the Court)
  • Holding that where a third party pays the income tax owed by an individual, the amount of tax paid constitutes additional income to the taxpayer.

Medical condition

Evidence from eyewitnesses, and from Taft himself, strongly suggests that during his presidency he had severe obstructive sleep apnea because of his obesity. Within a year of leaving the presidency, Taft lost approximately 80 pounds (36 kg). His somnolence problem resolved and, less obviously, his systolic blood pressure dropped 40–50 mmHg (from 210 mmHg). Undoubtedly, this weight loss extended his life.^[98] Soon after his weight loss, he had a revival of interest in the outdoors; this led him to explore Alaska.^[99] Beginning in 1920, Taft used a cane; this was a gift from Professor of Geology W. S. Foster, and was made of 250,000-year-old petrified wood.^[100]

Death and legacy

Taft's headstone at Arlington National Cemetery

Taft retired as Chief Justice on February 3, 1930 because of ill health. Charles Evans Hughes, whom he had appointed to the Court while president, succeeded him.

Five weeks following his retirement, Taft died on March 8, 1930, the same date as Associate Justice Edward Terry Sanford (who died unexpectedly earlier that same day). As it was customary for members of the court to attend the funeral of deceased members, this posed a "logistical nightmare", necessitating cross-country travel.^[101][102]

Three days following his demise, on March 11, he became the first president to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.^[101][103] James Earle Fraser sculpted his grave marker out of Stony Creek granite.^[103] Taft is one of two presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and is one of four Chief Justices buried there. Taft was the only Chief Justice to have had a state funeral.

In 1938, a third generation of the Taft family entered the national political stage with the election of the former President's oldest son Robert A. Taft I to the Senate, where he became a leader of the conservative Republicans. President Taft's other son, Charles Phelps Taft II, served as the mayor of Cincinnati from 1955 to 1957.

Two more generations of the Taft family later entered politics. The President's grandson, Robert Taft, Jr., served a term as a Senator from Ohio from 1971 to 1977, and the President's great-grandson, Robert A. "Bob" Taft III, served as the Governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. William Howard Taft III was the U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 1953 to 1957.

William Howard Taft IV, currently in private law practice, was the general counsel in the former United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in the 1970s, was the Deputy Secretary of Defense under Caspar Weinberger and Frank Carlucci in the 1980s, and acted as the United States Secretary of Defense during its vacancy from January to March 1989. In addition, he was a high-level official in the Department of State from 2000 to 2006.

President Taft's enduring legacy includes many things named after him. The William Howard Taft National Historic Site is the Taft boyhood home. The house in which he was born has been restored to its original appearance. It includes four period rooms reflecting family life during Taft's boyhood, and second-floor exhibits highlighting Taft's life.^[104] Others include the courthouse of the Ohio Court of Appeals for the First District in Cincinnati; streets in Cincinnati, Arlington, Virginia; and Manila, Philippines; a law school in Santa Ana, California;^[105] and high schools in San Antonio, Texas; Woodland Hills, California; Chicago, Illinois; and The Bronx. Taft, Eastern Samar, a town in the Philippines was named after him. After a fire burned much of the town of Moron, California, in the 1920s, it was renamed Taft, California, in his honor.

George Burroughs Torrey painted a portrait of him. Taft is the last President to have sported facial hair while in office.

Media

Collection of video clips of the president

Speech: "The Farmer and the Republican Party", Kansas City, Missouri, 1908

See also

	Biography portal
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	Politics portal

Demographics of the Supreme Court of the United States Dollar Diplomacy History of the United States (1865–1918) List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States

List of United States Chief Justices by time in office List of U.S. Supreme Court Justices by time in office Taft family United States Supreme Court cases during the Taft Court List of Presidents of the United States US Presidents on US postage stamps

Notes

1. ^ Finkelman, Paul (2006). Encyclopedia of American civil liberties. CRC Press. p. 1601. ISBN 978-0-415-94342-0. http://books.google.com/books?id=YoI14vYA8r0C&pg=PA1601. Retrieved July 11, 2011. 
2. ^ Arnold, Peri. "William Howard Taft: Campaigns and Elections". American President: An Online Reference Resource. University of Virginia. http://millercenter.org/president/taft/essays/biography/3. Retrieved December 8, 2010. "His victory was overwhelming. He carried all but three states outside the Democratic Solid South and won 321 electoral votes to Bryan's 162." 
3. ^ Blassingame, Wyatt (2001). The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents. New York: Random House. pp. 92. ISBN 0-679-80358-0. 
4. ^ "Alphonso Taft, Answers.com". http://www.answers.com/topic/alphonso-taft. 
5. ^ Anderson (1973), p.6.
6. ^ "Taft Once Unitarian Fairy". The New York Times: p. A3. August 4, 1908. http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F00A13FA395A17738DDDAD0894D0405B888CF1D3. 
7. ^ "William H. Taft". Ohio History Central. July 1, 2005. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=369. Retrieved March 20, 2009. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "William Howard Taft". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/580223/William-Howard-Taft. Retrieved March 21, 2009. 
9. ^ ^{a b c} "Obituary: Taft Gained Peaks in Unusual Career". New York Times. March 9, 1930. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0915.html. 
10. ^ O'Brien, Cormac; Monica Suteski (2004). Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents. Philadelphia, PA: Quirk Productions. p. 155. ISBN 1-931686-57-2. http://books.google.com/?id=x21e_pt0ClIC&pg=PA155. 
11. ^ "Wrestling in the USA". The National Wrestling Hall of Fame. http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/History/WrestlinginUSA.html. Retrieved January 30, 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "William Howard Taft". National Park Service. January 22, 2004. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/Presidents/bio27.htm. Retrieved March 20, 2009. 
13. ^ Herz, Walter (1999). "William Howard Taft". Unitarian Universalist Historical Society. http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/williamhowardtaft.html. Retrieved March 22, 2009. 
14. ^ Cannon, Carl. "Solicitor general nominee likely to face questions about detainees". GovernmentExecutive.com. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0405/042505nj1.htm. Retrieved January 3, 2010. 
15. ^ "William Howard Taft (1857–1930)". U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/lib_hist/courts/supreme/judges/taft/taft.html. Retrieved March 22, 2009. 
16. ^ "Against the Cowles Company, Decision in the Aluminium Patent Infringement Case (article preview)". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). January 15, 1893. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9904E3DE1731E033A25756C1A9679C94629ED7CF. Retrieved October 28, 2007.  and Rosenbaum, David Ira (1998). Market Dominance: How Firms Gain, Hold, or Lose It and the Impact on Economic Performance. Praeger Publishers via Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 56. ISBN 0-275-95604-0. http://books.google.com/?id=htQDB-Pf4VIC. Retrieved November 3, 2007. 
17. ^ Healy, Gene (February 7, 2012). "Never Let Law Profs Near the Oval Office". Reason. http://reason.com/archives/2012/02/07/never-let-law-profs-near-the-oval-office/singlepage. 
18. ^ ^{a b c d} "William Howard Taft". University of Virginia. 2008. http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/taft/essays/biography/2. Retrieved March 23, 2009. 
19. ^ Anderson (1973), p.7.
20. ^ Anderson (1973), p.11.
21. ^ Anderson (1973), p.8.
22. ^ Anderson (1973), p.9.
23. ^ ^{a b} Anderson (1973), p.12.
24. ^ See Raymond A. Esthus, "The Taft-Katsura Agreement – Reality or Myth?" Journal of Modern History 1959 31(1): 46–51 in JSTOR; and Jongsuk Chay, "The Taft-Katsura Memorandum Reconsidered," Pacific Historical Review, Vol. 37, No. 3 (Aug. 1968), pp. 321–326 in JSTOR
25. ^ ^{a b} Anderson (1973), p.16.
26. ^ Schweikart and Allen, p. 488.
27. ^ Anderson (1973), p.13.
28. ^ Anderson (1973), p.17.
29. ^ Anderson (1973), p.14.
30. ^ Anderson (1973), p.20.
31. ^ Anderson (1973), p.37.
32. ^ Anderson (1973), p.40.
33. ^ DeGregorio, William (1993). The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. New York: Wings Books. p. 398.
34. ^ Anderson (1973), p.38.
35. ^ Anderson (1973), p.43.
36. ^ Anderson (1973), p.45.
37. ^ Anderson (1973), p.50.
38. ^ Anderson (1973), p.57.
39. ^ Anderson (1973), p.58.
40. ^ ^{a b} Rouse, Robert (March 15, 2006). "Happy Anniversary to the first scheduled presidential press conference – 93 years young!". American Chronicle. http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/6883. 
41. ^ Anderson (1973), p.60.
42. ^ Anderson (1973), p.62.
43. ^ Anderson (1973), p.291.
44. ^ ^{a b} Anderson (1973), pp. 118–122
45. ^ Coletta, Presidency of William Howard Taft ch 3
46. ^ Anderson (1973), p.122.
47. ^ Anderson (1973), p. 146
48. ^ Anderson (1973), pp.78–79.
49. ^ Anderson (1973), p.79
50. ^ Anderson (1973), p. 80.
51. ^ Anderson (1973), p.130.
52. ^ Verini, James (July/August 2010). "Show Him the Money". Washington Monthly (Washington Monthly). http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2010/1007.verini.html. Retrieved 2012-05-07. 
53. ^ Schweikart and Allen, p. 490.
54. ^ Schweikart and Allen, p. 491.
55. ^ Anderson (1973), pp. 83–84.
56. ^ Anderson (1973), p. 168.
57. ^ Anderson (1973), p.177.
58. ^ Anderson (1973), p.86.
59. ^ Anderson (1973), p.90.
60. ^ Anderson (1973), p. 135.
61. ^ "President Taft speech of June 16, 1909". http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/print.php?pid=68517. 
62. ^ Coletta, Presidency of William Howard Taft pp 28–30.
63. ^ Anderson (1973), p.65.
64. ^ Anderson (1973), p.68.
65. ^ Anderson (1973), p.71.
66. ^ Anderson (1973), p.248.
67. ^ Anderson (1973), pp. 250–255.
68. ^ Anderson (1973), pp.260–263.
69. ^ Anderson (1973), p.264–265.
70. ^ Anderson (1973), p.276.
71. ^ Anderson (1973), p.278.
72. ^ Anderson (1973), pp. 136–144.
73. ^ Anderson (1973), p.139
74. ^ Anderson (1973), p.144.
75. ^ Anderson (1973), p.265.
76. ^ Anderson (1973), p.267.
77. ^ Anderson (1973), p.271.
78. ^ Anderson (1973), p.178
79. ^ Anderson (1973), p.180.
80. ^ Anderson (1973), p.183
81. ^ Anderson (1973), p.185
82. ^ Anderson (1973), p.192
83. ^ Anderson (1973), p.192.
84. ^ Anderson (1973), p.193
85. ^ Anderson (1973), p.199.
86. ^ Anderson (1973), p.203.
87. ^ Anderson (1973), p.204.
88. ^ Anderson (1973), p.210.
89. ^ Anderson (1973), p.200.
90. ^ Coletta, Presidency of William Howard Taft pp 139–40
91. ^ Hayostek, Cindy (2006). "Douglas Delegates to the 1910 Constitutional Convention and Arizona's Progressive Heritage". Journal of Arizona History 47 (4): 347–366. 
92. ^ Burton, Baker, Taft, Time Magazine (October 15, 1928).
93. ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter T". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterT.pdf. Retrieved April 6, 2011. 
94. ^ ^{a b} Schwartz, Bernard (1993). A History of the Supreme Court. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 213. ISBN 0-19-508099-8. 
95. ^ Report on Supreme Court nominees 1789–2005, Congressional Research Service, p. 41.
96. ^ "Painter, Judge Mark. From Revolution to Reconstruction William Howard Taft biography". http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/P/wt27/about/taftbio.htm. 
97. ^ Hack, Peter (2003). "The Roads Less Traveled: Post Conviction Relief Alternatives and the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996". American Journal of Criminal Law 30: 171. 
98. ^ "William Howard Taft and Sleep Apnea". http://www.apneos.com/taft_intro.html. 
99. ^ "Gislason Erick, A Brief History of Alaska Statehood (1867–1959)". http://xroads.virginia.edu/~cap/BARTLETT/49state.html. 
100. ^ The Edmonton Journal, July 10, 1920.
101. ^ ^{a b} Christensen, George A. (1983) Here Lies the Supreme Court: Gravesites of the Justices, Yearbook Supreme Court Historical Society at Internet Archive.
102. ^ Christensen, George A., Here Lies the Supreme Court: Revisited, Journal of Supreme Court History, Volume 33 Issue 1, Pages 17 – 41 (Feb 19, 2008), University of Alabama.
103. ^ ^{a b} "Biography of William Howard Taft, President of the United States and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court". Historical Information. THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/historical_information/william_taft.html. Retrieved January 4, 2007.  See also, William Howard Taft memorial at Find a Grave.
104. ^ William Howard Taft Home, National Park Service.
105. ^ Taft University system, William Howard Taft University and Taft Law School (Witkin School of Law).

References

Secondary sources

• Abraham, Henry J. (1992). Justices and Presidents: A Political History of Appointments to the Supreme Court (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-506557-3. }
• Anderson, Donald F. (1973). 'William Howard Taft: A Conservative's Conception of the Presidency. 
• Anderson, Judith Icke. William Howard Taft: An Intimate History (1981).
• Anthony, Carl Sferrazza. Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era (2005)
• Bromley, Michael L. William Howard Taft and the First Motoring Presidency (2003)
• Burton, David H. Taft, Holmes, and the 1920s Court: An Appraisal (1998)
• Burton, David H., Taft, Roosevelt, and the Limits of Friendship (2005)
• Burton, David H. William Howard Taft, Confident Peacemaker (2005)
• Chace, James. 1912: Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft and Debs – The Election that Changed the Country (2004)
• Coletta, Paolo Enrico. The Presidency of William Howard Taft (1973), standard survey
• Conner Valerie. The National War Labor Board' '(1983)
• Cushman, Clare (2001). The Supreme Court Justices: Illustrated Biographies, 1789–1995 (2nd ed.). (Supreme Court Historical Society, Congressional Quarterly Books). ISBN 1-56802-126-7; ISBN 978-1-56802-126-3.. 
• Duffy, Herbert S. William Howard Taft (1930).
• Frank, John P.; Leon Friedman and Fred L. Israel, editors (1995). The Justices of the United States Supreme Court: Their Lives and Major Opinions. Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 0-7910-1377-4; ISBN 978-0-7910-1377-9. 
• Gould, Lewis L. The William Howard Taft Presidency(2010)
• Hall, Kermit L., ed. (1992). The Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-505835-6; ISBN 978-0-19-505835-2.. 
• Hechler, Kenneth S. Insurgency: Personalities and Politics of the Taft Era 1940.
• Michael J. Korzi, Our chief magistrate and his powers: a reconsideration of William Howard Taft's "Whig" theory of presidential leadership (2003)
• Manners, William. TR and Will: A Friendship that Split the Republican Party 1969.
• Martin, Fenton S.; Goehlert, Robert U. (1990). The U.S. Supreme Court: A Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Books. ISBN 0-87187-554-3. 
• Martin, Fenton S.; Goehlert, Robert U. (1990). The U.S. Supreme Court: A Bibliography. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Books. ISBN 0-87187-554-3. 
• Minger Ralph E. William Howard Taft and United States Diplomacy: The Apprenticeship Years. 1900–1908 (1975)
• Mowry George E. The Era of Theodore Roosevelt (1958)
• Pringle, Henry F. The Life and Times of William Howard Taft: A Biography 2 vol (1939); Pulitzer prize; the standard biography
• Renstrom, Peter G. The Taft Court: Justices, Rulings and Legacy ABC-CLIO, 2003
• Scholes, Walter V. and Marie V. Scholes. The Foreign Policies of the Taft Administration 1970.
• Schweikart, Larry; Michael Allen (2004). A Patriot's History of the United States. Easton Press. 
• Solvick, Stanley D. (December 1, 1963). "William Howard Taft and the Payne-Aldrich Tariff". Mississippi Valley Historical Review 50 (3): 424–442. doi:10.2307/1902605. ISSN 0161391X. JSTOR 1902605. 
• Sternberg, Jonathan (2008). "Deciding Not to Decide: The Judiciary Act of 1925 and the Discretionary Court". Journal of Supreme Court History 33 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5818.2008.00176.x. 
• Urofsky, Melvin I. (1994). The Supreme Court Justices: A Biographical Dictionary. New York: Garland Publishing. pp. 590. ISBN 0-8153-1176-1; ISBN 978-0-8153-1176-8.. 
• Warren, Charles. (1928) The Supreme Court in United States History, 2 vols. at Google books.
• Wilensky, Norman N. Conservatives in the Progressive Era: The Taft Republicans of 1912 (1965).

Primary sources

• Butt, Archie. Taft and Roosevelt: The Intimate Letters of Archie Butt (1930)
• Taft, William Howard
  • Liberty Under Law Yale University Press, 1922.
  • Popular Government Yale University Press, 1913.
  • Present Day Problems Collection of speeches, 1908.
  • The Anti-Trust Act and the Supreme Court Harper and Row, 1914.
  • The Collected Works of William Howard Taft. Edited by David H. Burton. Ohio University Press, 2001–. 6 of 8 volumes have appeared.
  • The President and His Powers. Columbia University Press, 1924.
• Taft, Mrs. William Howard, Recollections of Full Years (1914)

• William Howard Taft at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

External links

Wikisource has original works written by or about: William Howard Taft

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: William Howard Taft

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: William Howard Taft

• William Howard Taft: A Resource Guide from the Library of Congress
• William Howard Taft at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
• Works by William Howard Taft at Project Gutenberg
• Extensive essay on William Howard Taft and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and the First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
• Inaugural Address
• Audio clips of Taft's speeches
• Taft's sleep apnea
• Taft's medical history
• White House biography
• Presidential Biography by Stanley L. Klos
• William Howard Taft cylinder recordings, from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara Library.
• Discography of William Howard Taft on Victor Records from the Encyclopedic Discography of Victor Recordings (EDVR)
• W.H. Taft Pages: Taft Humor and Anecdotes
• William Taft National Historic Site
• The Taft Museum, an art museum in Taft's former home in downtown Cincinnati
• "Growing into Public Service: William Howard Taft's Boyhood Home", a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan
• The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funeral, 1921–1969, CHAPTER II, Former President William Howard Taft, State Funeral, 8 – March 11, 1930 by B. C. Mossman and M. W. Stark. United States Army Center of Military History.
• The Taft Chair at the Mission Inn
• Bibliography, William Howard Taft Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
• Biography, William Howard Taft Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
• Location of Papers William Howard Taft Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
• William Howard Taft, The first golfing President
• William Howard Taft at C-SPAN's American Presidents: Life Portraits

Offices and distinctions

Legal offices Preceded by Orlow Chapman United States Solicitor General 1890–1892 Succeeded by Charles Aldrich New seat Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit 1892–1900 Succeeded by Henry Severens Preceded by Edward White Chief Justice of the United States 1921–1930 Succeeded by Charles Hughes Political offices Preceded by Jacob Schurman as Chairperson of the Schurman Commission Chairperson of the Taft Commission 1900–1901 Succeeded by Himself as Chairperson of the Philippine Commission Preceded by Arthur MacArthur Governor of the Philippines 1901–1903 Served alongside: Adna Chaffee Succeeded by Luke Wright Preceded by Himself as Chairperson of the Taft Commission Chairperson of the Philippine Commission 1901–1903 Preceded by Elihu Root United States Secretary of War 1904–1908 Succeeded by Luke Wright Preceded by Tomás Estrada Palma as President of Cuba Governor of Cuba Acting 1906 Succeeded by Charles Magoon Acting Preceded by Theodore Roosevelt President of the United States 1909–1913 Succeeded by Woodrow Wilson Party political offices Preceded by Theodore Roosevelt Republican nominee for President of the United States 1908, 1912 Succeeded by Charles Hughes Honorary titles Preceded by Woodrow Wilson Oldest living President of the United States 1924–1930 Succeeded by Calvin Coolidge Preceded by Theodore Roosevelt Oldest living President of the United States 1901–1913 Succeeded by Woodrow Wilson Preceded by Warren Harding Persons who have lain in state or honor in the United States Capitol rotunda 1930 Succeeded by John Pershing Awards and achievements Preceded by Hiram Evans Cover of Time Magazine June 30, 1924 Succeeded by James Rockefeller

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Sherman (1909–1912) None (1912–1913) Secretary of State Philander C. Knox (1909–1913) Secretary of the Treasury Franklin MacVeagh (1909–1913) Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson (1909–1911) Henry L. Stimson (1911–1913) Attorney General George W. Wickersham (1909–1913) Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock (1909–1913) Secretary of the Navy George von L. Meyer (1909–1913) Secretary of the Interior Richard A. Ballinger (1909–1911) Walter L. Fisher (1911–1913) Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson (1909–1913) Secretary of Commerce and Labor Charles Nagel (1909–1913)   Supreme Court of the United States The Taft Court Chief Justice: William Howard Taft (1921–1930) 1921–1922: J. McKenna | O.W. Holmes | Wm. R. Day | W. Van Devanter | M. Pitney | J.C. McReynolds | L.D. Brandeis | J.H. Clarke 1922: J. McKenna | O.W. Holmes | Wm. R. Day | W. Van Devanter | M. Pitney | J.C. McReynolds | L.D. Brandeis | Geo. Sutherland 1923–1925: J. McKenna | O.W. Holmes | W. Van Devanter | J.C. McReynolds | L.D. Brandeis | Geo. Sutherland | P. Butler | E.T. Sanford 1925–1930: O.W. Holmes | W. Van Devanter | J.C. McReynolds | L.D. Brandeis | Geo. Sutherland | P. Butler | E.T. Sanford | H.F. Stone

Authority control: LCCN: n79022244 | VIAF: 59091219 | WorldCat

Persondata
Name	Taft, William Howard
Alternative names
Short description	American politician, lawyer, jurist
Date of birth	September 15, 1857
Place of birth	Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Date of death	March 8, 1930
Place of death	Washington, D.C., United States

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