William Howard Taft, born born on this date in 1857, was the first United States President to visit the Little White House (then known as Quarters A). He took the train down to the Key West stopping here in 1912 before boarding a ship to Panama to inspect construction of the Panama Canal.
Taft, was an Ohioan just like our executive director, Bob Wolz. He attended Yale and later the University of Cincinnati Law School. Before entering politics, Taft served in several judicial positions including the Ohio Superior Court and U.S. Court of Appeals. In 1900, Taft was appointed Governor General of the Philippines Taft by President William McKinley later served as Secretary of War by President Theodore Roosevelt.
As president, Taft made six appointments to the Supreme Court, including his predecessor as Chief Justice, Eward Douglass White and successor as Chief Justice, Charles Evans Hughes. Arizona and New Mexico were admitted as states to the Union while Taft was in office. Taft’s presidency also saw the passage of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, no doubt everyone’s favorite, income taxes.
Following his term as president, Taft severed as the Chancellor Kent Professor of Law at his alma mater Yale and was later the president of the American Bar Associaiton. A true jurist, Taft’s passion the law was fulfilled in 1921 when President William Harding appointed him as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the only president to have served on the high court. He served until his death in 1930.
Taft’s came from a very political family. His father was Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and his own sons, grandsons and great grandsons have served as United States Senators from Ohio, mayor of Cincinnati, Governor of Ohio and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland.
President William Howard Taft in front of the USS Arkanas in Key West on his way to inspect the Panama Canal in 1912.
Taft died on March 8, 1930 and was the first president buried in Arlington National Cemetery, one of only two, the other being John F. Kennedy. He was also the first of four Chief Justices of the Supreme Court Justices to be buried there as well along with Earl Warren, Warren Burger and William Rehnquist.
