William Howard Taft (1857-1930) was the 27th President of the United States (1909-1913) and the 10th Chief Justice of the United States (1921-1930), holding the distinction of being the only person to have served in both positions. Born into a politically active family in Cincinnati, Ohio, Taft followed his father's footsteps into law, graduating from Yale and Cincinnati Law School. He served as a judge, solicitor general, and civilian governor of the Philippines before becoming Secretary of War under President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt then backed Taft as his successor, leading to Taft's presidential election in 1908.
Taft's presidency saw progressive reforms, including antitrust suits and the establishment of the postal savings bank and a children's bureau. He initiated twice as many antitrust prosecutions as Roosevelt. However, his more conservative approach strained relations with reform-minded allies, particularly Roosevelt, which contributed to a split in the Republican party. After his presidential term, Taft became a professor at Yale University. In 1921, he was appointed Chief Justice by President Warren G. Harding, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. Taft served on the Supreme Court until shortly before his death and was the first president and Supreme Court justice to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
