William Howard Taft

(1857 - 1930 )

Term of Office:		1909-1913
Admin. Policy:		Trust-Busting
Famous Quote:		"Socialism proposes no adequate substitute for the motive of enlightened selfishness that to-day is at the basis of all human labor and effort, enterprise and new activity."
Political Affiliation:		Republican
Achievement:		Dissolved Standard Oil under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

Who was William Taft ?

Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of a distinguished judge. In 1878, he graduated from Yale College, and two years later from the Cincinnati Law School. William Taft entered politics through law. At age 34, he was appointed a Federal circuit judge. Under President McKinley, he was sent to the Philippines as chief civil administrator, where he helped improve the economy and educational facilities, among other things. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Secretary of War under President Roosevelt.

Taft's achievements in office include 80 anti-trust suits, the admittance of New Mexico and Arizona, and the 17th Amendment, which instituted the direct election of U.S. Senators. President Taft appointed the first woman to a major federal post: the Children's Bureau. After leaving the White House, Taft became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

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