William Howard Taft (seated center) and classmates at the Woodward High School, circa 1870-74. 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


William Howard Taft (seated center) and classmates at the Woodward High School, circa 1870-74. 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 offices. Before becoming President, Taft, a Republican, was appointed to serve on the Superior Court of Cincinnati 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. 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. In surveys of presidential scholars, he is usually ranked near the middle of lists of all American Presidents. After leaving office, Taft spent his time in academia, arbitration, and the pursuit of world peace through his self-founded League to Enforce Peace. In 1921, after the First World War, President Harding appointed Taft Chief Justice of the United States. He served in this capacity until shortly before his death in 1930 at the age of 72.


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