Childhood
President Taft was born on September 15th, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He had five siblings and considered himself a Unitarian. Alphonso Taft, his father, served under Ulysses S. Grant as the Secretary of War and the Attorney General. He surprisingly enjoyed sports but also enjoyed school.
Family
William Howard Taft lived with a large family during his childhood. Out of his five siblings, two were half brothers by his father's first marriage and also had two brothers and a sister born to his mother.
Taft's father and role model, Alphonso, was appointed by President Arthur to serve as an ambassador to Russia as well as Austria-Hungary. Alphonso associated himself with the Republican Party but with very liberal views on women's rights. He sadly passed away in 1891.
Taft's mother on the other hand, Louisa Maria Torrey Taft, was known for her language clubs and book clubs. She traveled very frequently with Alphonso on his diplomatic missions.
Later William would marry Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft. She was raised Prebysterian but joined the Episcopalian Church. She was employed as a teacher at two of her local private schools. She taught French for four hours a week for two months at Madame Fredlin's School.
William and Nellie would have three children. Robert Taft, Helen Taft [Manning], and Charles Taft. Robert attempted to join the Army but was rejected due to poor vision. He switched to become legal staff of the Food and Drug Administration. He met Herbert Hoover who became is role model. Robert would grow up to be a conservative American politician. He successfully expanded power of labor unions on America. Taft's single daughter Helen however was a suffragette and gave speeches for women's rights and traveled the country while doing so. The youngest of the bunch, Charles Taft, was also a part of the Republican Party.
Taft's father and role model, Alphonso, was appointed by President Arthur to serve as an ambassador to Russia as well as Austria-Hungary. Alphonso associated himself with the Republican Party but with very liberal views on women's rights. He sadly passed away in 1891.
Taft's mother on the other hand, Louisa Maria Torrey Taft, was known for her language clubs and book clubs. She traveled very frequently with Alphonso on his diplomatic missions.
Later William would marry Helen Louise Herron "Nellie" Taft. She was raised Prebysterian but joined the Episcopalian Church. She was employed as a teacher at two of her local private schools. She taught French for four hours a week for two months at Madame Fredlin's School.
William and Nellie would have three children. Robert Taft, Helen Taft [Manning], and Charles Taft. Robert attempted to join the Army but was rejected due to poor vision. He switched to become legal staff of the Food and Drug Administration. He met Herbert Hoover who became is role model. Robert would grow up to be a conservative American politician. He successfully expanded power of labor unions on America. Taft's single daughter Helen however was a suffragette and gave speeches for women's rights and traveled the country while doing so. The youngest of the bunch, Charles Taft, was also a part of the Republican Party.
Political Career
President Taft first began his career when he attended Yale University, until he graduated in 1878. He then went to Law school and in 1880, he started his own practice of law after passing the bar exam. His dream job had always to become a member of the U.S Supreme Court so he worked a various amount jobs hoping he would be prepared enough to be accepted into the group of judges. His jobs before he became president ranged from the Ohio superior court to the U.S. court of appeals.
Once the Philippines were under U.S. control during the Spanish-American war, Taft was sent to be governor of the new government under the order of President McKinley.
Taft became the secretary of war for Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. He was instructed, while being secretary of war, to supervise the construction of the Panama Canal. Dedicated to his work, Taft would refuse multiple invitations to his dream job of being a part of the Supreme Court because he felt that completing his job of supervision was his biggest priority.
Taft ran for Chief Executive after Roosevelt had recommended him and his wife encouraged him. Winning the election, Taft became the twenty-seventh president of the United States of America. He served in office from 1909 to 1913. A more conservative Republican than Roosevelt, Taft did not quite understand the true meaning of presidential power, making him a terrible politician. Being very dissatisfied by Taft's leadership of the country, Roosevelt fought against him in the next election. Ironically, neither of them won and Woodrow Wilson became the twenty-eighth President. Almost completely satisfied with the outcome, Taft developed a healthier lifestyle after his extremely stressful presidential career was over.
Nine years later, Taft was awarded his dream job by President Harding of becoming the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme court. He was the first person to be both a president and a Chief Justice and the first president to swear in a new president into office (Calvin Coolidge-1923, Herbert Hoover-1929). He loved his Job of being Chief Justice that he continued to work nearly until his death.
Once the Philippines were under U.S. control during the Spanish-American war, Taft was sent to be governor of the new government under the order of President McKinley.
Taft became the secretary of war for Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. He was instructed, while being secretary of war, to supervise the construction of the Panama Canal. Dedicated to his work, Taft would refuse multiple invitations to his dream job of being a part of the Supreme Court because he felt that completing his job of supervision was his biggest priority.
Taft ran for Chief Executive after Roosevelt had recommended him and his wife encouraged him. Winning the election, Taft became the twenty-seventh president of the United States of America. He served in office from 1909 to 1913. A more conservative Republican than Roosevelt, Taft did not quite understand the true meaning of presidential power, making him a terrible politician. Being very dissatisfied by Taft's leadership of the country, Roosevelt fought against him in the next election. Ironically, neither of them won and Woodrow Wilson became the twenty-eighth President. Almost completely satisfied with the outcome, Taft developed a healthier lifestyle after his extremely stressful presidential career was over.
Nine years later, Taft was awarded his dream job by President Harding of becoming the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme court. He was the first person to be both a president and a Chief Justice and the first president to swear in a new president into office (Calvin Coolidge-1923, Herbert Hoover-1929). He loved his Job of being Chief Justice that he continued to work nearly until his death.
Conclusion
Sadly, Taft died on March 8, 1930, in Washington D.C. due to heart disease. He was buried in Arlington National Seminary where Helen was buried next to him years later. His legacy lives on through unmentioned, but important constructions and ideas. Taft can be remembered for his supervision of the building of the Panama Canal, the sixteenth and seventeenth amendments creating a federal income tax and having senators be elected by the people and not legislators, and he created the department of labor to benefit the average worker. Even though he was not well liked and had very unpopular ideas, such as the foreign dollar diplomacy, hard work, dedication, and the will to never give up no matter what the job are just some characteristics that made President William Howard Taft a great leader in history.