William Howard Taft (27 th President of the United States) Born: 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Family background: the son of Alphonso and Louisa Torrey Taft. Both parents were descendants of old and substantial New England families of British origin. His father, a native of Vermont and the son of a judge, had moved to Cincinnati in 1837 to practice law.
His mother came to Ohio from Massachusetts years later as Alphonso’s second wife. In time there were six children, including William, his two brothers, his sister, and his two half brothers by his father’s first marriage. Education: Taft received his early education at local public schools. Even-tempered and intelligent, he had little difficulty in meeting his parents’ exacting standards. In 1874 he entered Yale College (now Yale University), where he was both successful and popular. When he graduated in 1878, he ranked second in his class.
After Yale he went home to attend the Cincinnati Law School. He graduated in 1880 and passed the Ohio bar examinations the same year. Marriage and Children: In 1885 Taft returned to public service as assistant county solicitor in Hamilton County. The following year he married Helen Herron, whom he called Nellie, the daughter of a well-known Cincinnati lawyer. The couple had three children, Helen, Charles Phelps, and Robert Alphonso Taft. Career: 1890-1892: Served as U.
S. solicitor general. 1892-1900: Served as U. S. federal circuit court judge. 1901: Served as governor general of the Philippines.
1904-1908: Served as secretary of war under William Mckinley. 1909-1913: President of the United States. 1921-1931: Served as chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. Achievements: Enforced the Sherman Antitrust Act, overseeing the filing of 67 antitrust suits.
Increased the power of the interstate commerce commission in 1910 by placing communication companies under its control. He signed the publicity act in 1910 requiring political parties to disclose the amount and sources of federal election campaign funds. He divided the department of commerce and labor into two departments in 1913. He encouraged? dollar diplomacy? persuading U. S.
businesses to invest abroad in order to expand the U. S. presence worldwide. Quick facts: Taft weighed more than 300 pounds and had a special oversized bathtub installed in the White House. He was the first president to throw the opening pitch for a baseball season. Beside president his profession includes Lawyer, Reporter, Professor, Dean of University of Cincinnati Law School Death: At the age of 72 years, he died in March 1930, at his home at Washington D.
C. web Encyclopedia Encarta: Edition 2000.