|
William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 15, 1857. After graduating
in 1878 from Yale University, Taft attended the law school at the University of Cincinnati.
He began practicing law in Ohio in 1880. By 1887, Taft was a superior court judge. In 1889,
at age 32, Taft urged others to convince President Benjamin Harrison, a lawyer, to appoint
him to the Supreme Court. Harrison declined, but Taft did win appointment to the position
of Solicitor General. After three years as solicitor general, Taft was appointed to the
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In 1900, Taft was appointed to the
Philippine Commission, created after the War of 1898 led to the cession of the Philippines
to the United States by Spain. Taft remained in the Philippines for four years, eventually
serving as Governor General. In 1904, Taft was appointed Secretary of War by President
Teddy Roosevelt. In 1908, the Republican Taft won the presidential election, defeating
William Jennings Bryan. Taft was able to make six appointments to the Supreme Court during
his four years as President, the greatest number of appointments made in any four year
term other than in George Washington's first term.
After his defeat in 1912, Taft returned to his alma mater, Yale, to teach law. In 1921,
the Republicans once again occupied the White House. President Harding nominated Taft to
the position of Chief Justice after the death of Edward White, whom Taft had appointed to
that position. The Senate confirmed Taft's nomination the same day it was sent to it. Taft
thus became the only person to serve as both President and as a Justice of the Supreme
Court.
Taft was a conservative judge who distrusted reform legislation that he believed too
radical. In Truax v. Corrigan (1921), Taft wrote the Court's opinion declaring
unconstitutional Arizona's efforts to limit the issuance of injunctions by judges during a
labor strike. The injunction was a powerful tool against labor unions. But Taft saw the
legislation as too heavily favoring labor. Taft also wrote an opinion for the Court
declaring unconstitutional a congressional effort to outlaw child labor through use of the
taxing power. Taft did dissent in Adkins v. Children's Hospital (1923), which held
unconstitutional a minimum wage law for women in the District of Columbia. Taft was
interested in judicial administration and his lobbying efforts led to the passage of the
Judiciary Act of 1925.
Taft resigned from the Court due to illness in February 1930. He died a month later,
on March 8, 1930.
|
