117 William H Taft Facts: Read More About the 27th U.S President
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William Howard Taft, son of Alphonso Taft, wasn't much of a famous man during his presidency.
A man of law, William Taft rose to the limelight through this expertise in law. He graduated from Yale University in 1878.
Having served on the Ohio Bar and the U.S. Court of Appeals, William H. Taft rose to fame after he worked as the Solicitor general under President Harrison. He later worked under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt as well.
It was especially due to Roosevelt that Taft came to hold a seat in the White House. However, President Taft is known to have admitted that he most enjoyed his tenure as the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court more than anything else.
It was only during the latter part of his life that Taft was allowed to have his dream job as the Chief Justice. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was appointed as the President of the United States of America at the age of 51.
One of the lesser celebrated presidents, Taft died in 1930 due to heart-related ailments. Keep reading to learn more facts about President Taft and his tenure in the White House!
If you enjoyed reading this article, why not also check out William H Harrison facts and 26th President of USA facts here at Kidadl!
Fun Facts About William H Taft
William Howard Taft was a rather famous man, although people argue that he wasn't too well suited for the office. A member of the Republican party, President Theodore Roosevelt chose Taft as his successor and he ended up winning the election. Taft has many firsts to his name.
One of the fun facts about this U.S. president is that he was the heaviest one ever appointed to hold the chair. He weighed at around 332 lb (151 kg) and most people remember him due to the rumor of him being stuck in a bathtub.
The rumor goes that while in the White House, President Taft got stuck in a bathtub. The situation became so serious that six of his aides had to pull him out of there.
It was following this event that he remade the bathtub and made it large enough to fit at least four fully grown adults! Although this incident is a myth, it sure is bizarre!
Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in the year 1857. His father was named Alphonso Taft and there is insufficient knowledge regarding his early life in Ohio.
Taft graduated from law school in the year 1878 and became a part of the Ohio bar in 1880. Taft served as the attorney general and secretary of war under President Ulysses S. Grant.
He was also the first civilian governor of the Philippines, in the year 1901. His role was to set up a civilian government in the Philippines, which he succeeded in doing, although he clashed with the military governor there.
Taft started the legacy of throwing the first pitch of the baseball season. This is a legacy that is now continued by all his successors. The game was between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics, and the Washington Senators won.
William Taft was the first president to own and drive cars and it is said that he turned all the stables in the White House into garages. He was also the last president to have a cow that would give him fresh milk every day.
Her name was Pauline. All his successors did away with the legacy of White House cows.
Facts About William H Taft's Presidency
William Howard Taft was appointed as the Secretary of War by former U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt. As Secretary of War, Taft's main job was to make sure that the Panama Canal was built without any major hindrances.
Secretary of War was not Taft's dream job.
Having studied at Yale University and being proficient in matters of law, Taft received many proposals to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when he was working with President Roosevelt.
However, he chose to continue his work as the Secretary of War since he felt that it was his responsibility to finish the job that Roosevelt had entrusted him with.
Even when it was time for Roosevelt to retire, the republican party pushed Taft as the next president and due to his wife's encouragement to take the offer, Taft could not back out.
He won the presidential election as the Republican nomination and hence, went on to serve as the president of the United States of America throughout the assigned tenure.
Taft's time at the law school also helped him in climbing to glory in the United States of America. It was through his expertise in law that he rose as one of the most viable progressive republicans to be appointed to the office.
Facts About William H Taft's Legal Career
William Howard Taft is known to have been a very ambitious man, as he had big dreams of becoming a part of the Supreme Court of the United States of America. His path to accomplishing this dream was consolidated through his graduation from Yale University under the presidential rule of Ulysses S. Grant.
Taft wanted to serve the public and hence became a part of the Ohio bar in the year 1880. He also served as solicitor general under President Harrison.
Taft also served in the Ohio Superior Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals.
It was in the year 1901 that he was appointed as the governor-general in the Philippines by President McKinley after Taft resigned as a judge. He served there for four years, and also worked as the provisional governor of Cuba.
Following this, he came back to the United States of America and served as Secretary of War under President Roosevelt. During this tenure, he rose as a trustworthy figure and also became one of Roosevelt's favorites.
It is quite evident that William Howard Taft was famous within the Republican party and the general public since he won the election in his first attempt.
However, Taft's main dream remained to be the same. He wanted to serve as the Chief Justice at the U.S. Supreme Court, and it was much later in his life that he was given the opportunity to do so.
President William Howard Taft ended his presidentship in the year 1913, after having served the entire tenure. After this, he did not want to retire, and hence, went back to Yale University and became a professor of law.
It was in the year 1921 that Taft was finally given the opportunity to serve as the Chief Justice when nominated by President Warren G. Harding. Taft publicly admitted that he enjoyed working as a Chief Justice more than he ever did living at the White House as the president.
It was because of such reasons that he worked as the Chief Justice almost until the day of his death in 1930.
His passion for law was definitely the sole reason why he managed to rise to fame and glory and hold the highest office in the nation. Additionally, his nickname, Big Bill, also suggests that Taft was rather loved.
Facts About William H Taft's Accomplishments
William Taft is associated with the many accomplishments that he made during his presidency. It was during his presidential rule that the 16th amendment was passed which created a federal income tax system.
He also created the Department of Labor, which ensured workers with basic working standards, workplace safety, sanitation, unemployment insurance, and other such things.
He also passed the 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which declared that the Senators were to be chosen by the people of the nation and not the state legislatures.
Taft established the parcel post service, which caused an economic boom in the nation.
The states of New Mexico and Arizona were added to the nation during Taft's presidency.
William Howard Taft was the first person to ever serve as both the U.S. president and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
William Taft broke down many monopolies.
William Taft was the first president to be buried at the Arlington National Cemetery. The only other U.S. president to be buried there was John F. Kennedy.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 117 William H Taft facts, then why not take a look at William Harvey facts, or William James facts.
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With a degree in English from Amity University, Noida, Shirin has won awards for oratory, acting, and creative writing. She has a wealth of experience as an English teacher, editor, and writer, having previously worked at Quizzy and Big Books Publishing. Her expertise lies in editing study guides for children and creating engaging content.
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