Taft, William Howard. Twenty-seventh president of the United States. Born in Cincinnati, September 15, 1857. Graduate of Yale, B.A., 1878; Law School, Cincinnati College, LL.B., 1880. Admitted to Ohio bar, 1880. Taft was law reporter for the Cincinnati Times, and later of Cincinnati Commercial, 1880-81. Assistant prosecuting attorney, Hamilton County, OH, 1881-83. Collector of internal revenue, first district, OH, 1882-83. Practiced law, Cincinnati, 1883-87. Assistant county solicitor, Hamilton County, 1885-87. Judge Superior Court of Ohio, 1887-90. Solicitor-general of United States, 1890-92. Dean and professor in law department, University of Cincinnati, 1896-190. United States circuit judge, sixth circuit, 1892-1900. Taft became president of United States Philippine Commission, 1900-01. First civil governor of Philippine Islands, 1901 to 1904. Secretary of War, United States, 1904-08. On November 3, 1908, Taft was elected president of the United States, and was inaugurated March 4, 1909. In 1912 he was nominated for president by the Republican Party, but was defeated. Made Kent professor of law, Yale, 1913. In 1921 Taft was appointed chief-justice of the United States Supreme Court.

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