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Home , Alphonso Taft, Louise Taft, Taft family, William Howard Taft

•&U.S. GPO: 1972-^83-436/61 , 27th President of the United bought this 2-story brick home in William States, was born in a first-floor bedroom of this 1851. Although the house was no more than 10 Auburn Avenue home on ,1857. Writ­ years old, it was extensively remodeled and dou­ ing to her sister, Delia Torrey, almost 2 months bled in size to accommodate and meet the demands Howard later, said that "he is perfectly healthy of a growing and active family. The home remained and hearty and I take real comfort in taking care of in the until 1899 when it was sold to Taft him. He is very large for his age, and grows fat Judge Albert Thompson. The property passed every day. The question of complexion is not yet through various owners until 1961, when the Taft NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE settled—his eyes are at present 'deeply darkly, Memorial Association, headed by Charles Phelps beautifully blue'. . . ." Taft II, son of the President, acquired a perpetual lease, and later fee title, to the house and grounds. The property was designated William Howard Taft National Historic Site by Act of Congress Decem­ ber 2, 1969. The is com­ pleting restoration of the home.

ADMINISTRATION

William Howard Taft National Historic Site is ad­ ministered by the National Park Service, U.S. De­ partment of the Interior. A unit manager, whose address is P.O. Box 19072, , OH 45219, is in immediate charge.

As the Nation's principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has basic responsibili­ ties for water, fish, wildlife, mineral, land, park, and recreational resources. Indian and Territorial affairs are other major concerns of America's "De­ partment of Natural Resources." The Department works to assure the wisest choice in managing all our resources so that each will make its full con­ tribution to a better —now and in the future.

National Park Service Mrs. Alphonso Taft, her three children, and the Taft home, about U.S. DEPARTMENTOFTHE INTERIOR National Parks Centennial 1872-1972 1867. The boy sitting on the gate post is probably William Howard. After receiving a law degree in in Will Taft attended Woodward High School, one of 1838. William Howard Taft's father Alphonso visi­ the first public schools to offer college preparation ted various cities before settling in Cincinnati. programs. Encouraged by his father, who believed "After balancing every consideration, which I have in earnest application to one's studies, he gradu­ been able to bring to bear upon the case, I am dis­ ated second in his class in 1874. That autumn he posed to locate here," he wrote Fanny Phelps in left for 4 years at Yale. Taft enjoyed the years at his home town of Townshend, , from Cin­ Yale, and graduated second in the class there, too. cinnati. 'The practice is not very profitable, nor is A classmate, Herbert W. Bowen, said Taft "was the it very unprofitable. The office in which I now am, most admired and respected man not only in my brings in about five thousand dollars a year." On class but in all Yale." In 1878, Taft returned home August 29, 1841, he married Fanny who bore him where he studied law and received a degree from 5 children. Fanny died 11 years later, but Alphonso Cincinnati Law School. In June 1886 he married Taft did not remain a widower long. At the end of Helen Herron of Cincinnati. They had three child­ 1853,he married LouiseTorrey, of Millbury, Massa­ ren, Alphonso, who became a U.S. Sen­ chusetts. ator, Helen Herron, and Charles Phelps II.

Though Cincinnati in 1870 had a population of William Howard Taft's career was one of gradually more than 200,000, the people were scattered increasing responsibilities. Shortly after his 23d along the Ohio River and upon the seven hills that birthday he became solicitor and then assistant form an arc above the river. The atmosphere was prosecutor for Hamilton County. He was for a brief one of many small villages rather than that of a period collector of internal revenue for Ohio and large city. The Taft boys—there were four besides Kentucky in 1881; judge on the Ohio Superior William Howard—seem to have lived like other Court for Cincinnati in 1887; Solicitor General of boys their age. They swam, skated, fought with the the United States in 1890; U.S. circuit judge for boys from Walnut Hills and Vine Street, and gen­ the 56th Judicial District in 1892; President of the erally enjoyed themselves on the baseball diamond Commission in 1900; Civil Governor of and in other youth-related activities. Young William the Philippines in 1901; and Secretary of War in Howard was an avid baseball player; second base 1904. He was elected President of the United States was his territory. Strong arms made him a strong in 1909, appointed Kent professor of constitutional batter, which somewhat compensated for his lack law at in 1913, and named Chief of speed running the bases. His interest in baseball Justice of the United States in 1921. continued through his presidential years, when he inaugurated the Presidential custom of throwing out the first ball of each new season. President Taft prepares to sign the bills admitting New and Arizona to the Union in 1912. questioned Taft in 1 908 about Mrs. Taft replied: "Make it the presidency." Taft how he "got these jobs at so young an age." Taft replied: "Make it the chief justiceship." replied somewhat facetiously: "I got my political Though Taft longed to be on the Supreme Court, pull, first, through father's prominence; then he turned down two Roosevelt offers of appoint­ through the fact that I was hail-fellow-well-met with ment while he was serving as Civil Governor of the all of the political people of the city convention- Philippines, and as Secretary of War. He did not going type. I also worked in my ward and some­ times succeeded in deflating the regular gang can­ believe that the United States should have taken didate by hustling around among good people to the Islands, "but being there, we must exert our­ get them out." selves to construct a government which should be adapted to the needs of the people so that they Taft was indeed the prominent son of a prominent might be developed into a self-governing people." father. Alphonso Taft had served as the Secretary Once in the Philippines, Taft found that he would of War and Attorney General under President have to struggle not only with the problems of the Ulysses S. Grant. He later went to Vienna as minis­ but also against the American military au­ ter to -Hungary, and as minister to thorities who opposed the establishment of the civil at St. Petersburg (Leningrad) for President Chester government. The "needs of the people" and Taft's Arthur. Alphonso's son always remained a loyal steadfast faith in the necessity for a civil govern­ Republican, too, and felt uneasy when the party ment provided the grounds for his refusal to accept was out of power. a position on the Supreme Court.

Though Taft was thoroughly interested in politics, On December 23, 1903, Taft sailed for the United he was not a politically ambitious man. His first States to become Secretary of War in Roosevelt's love was the law. As his biographer, Henry F. cabinet. The job became one of intimate advisor to Pringle, put it, "Taft worshipped the law; no under­ Roosevelt, and the President sent him off frequently standing of him is possible without appreciation of to deal with new crises—the Canal Zone; Cuba, the fact." This admiration early kindled a desire for where he was Provisional Governor in 1906; and appointment to the Supreme Court. Even in 1905, Japan, where he helped smooth out Japanese- when he was being mentioned as a possible presi­ American relations. dential candidate, he wrote one of his brothers: By 1908, it was clear to most political observers "my ambition isto become a justice of the Supreme that William Howard Taft would be the Republican Court. I presume, however, there are very few men presidential candidate if who would refuse to accept the nomination of the Taft became Chief Justice of the United States in 1 921. Several members of this court achieved great prominence, notably Oliver Wendell chose not to run. In the end, this is what happened. Republican party for the presidency, and I am not Holmes, Louis D. Brandeis, and Harlan F. Stone, who himself was appointed Chief Justice in 1 941. This 1 926 photograph shows, from left to And in the autumn, Taft defeated William Jennings right, James C. McReynolds, Edward T. Sanford, Holmes, , Taft, , , Stone and Brandeis. an exception." On another occasion when the Tafts Bryan, who was running for the third time, by an were dining with President Theodore Roosevelt, electoral vote of 321 to 162. some corporation lawyers in the cabinet made party and at the 1 912 convention Roosevelt's name the President closed his eyes and said, "I see a man many people conclude that he was abandoning the was placed in nomination by those who believed weighing three hundred and fifty pounds. There is As President, Taft found it difficult to deal with a previous administration's programs, which he had that little or no effort was being made at reform. something hanging over his head. I cannot make Congress made up of Old Guard Republicans, pledged to continue. The growing hostility between When Taft won renomination, Roosevelt and his out what it is. . .. At one time it looks like the presi­ Progressive Republicans, and Democrats. H is grow­ followers formed the Bull Moose party. In Novem­ dency, then again it looks like the chief justiceship." ing reliance on the Old Guard and the inclusion of Congress and the President produced some legis­ lative stalemates, but many important and pro­ ber, the separate campaigns of Roosevelt and Taft gressive acts are still with us today. divided the Republican vote, and the Democratic candidate, Woodrow , won the Presidency. Taft recommended in 1909 that Congress submit to the States an amendment which would permit Though the campaign was bitter. President Taft levying a Federal income tax. In 1910, he asked the left office gracefully and in a few months became heads of Government departments to prepare esti­ Kent professor of constitutional law at Yale U niver- mates of their coming fiscal year expenses—the sity. During , President Wilson named first comprehensive budget in the Nation's history. him co-chairman of the National War Labor Board. In he urged Congress to adopt an And in 1921, President Warren G. Harding named annual Federal budget, but this proposal was ig­ him Chief Justice of the United States—the office nored. Taft's Attorney General, George Wickersham, Taft had always wanted. He, therefore, became the vigorously enforced the antitrust laws in a careful only man who ever served as both President and systematic fashion, and Taft filed more antitrust Chief Justice of the United States. suits in 4 years than previous administrations, or Taft found the court in an almost unworkable 's. Over the objections of bankers, situation. Cases were piling up faster than it could Taft in 1910 signed a bill instituting a postal savings handle them. He worked to improve the efficiency program which he considered "one of the great of the courts and urged the passage of legislation Congressional enactments." He also established for this purpose. Two acts, one in 1922 and the the Children's Bureau and the Department of Labor other in 1925, created new Federal judges and and recommended strengthening the Interstate lifted some of the burden from the Supreme Court. Commerce Commission so that it could regulate As Pringle has said, "his prolonged interest in and the transportation industry more realistically. Two his tireless labors for judicial reform were his new States, New Mexico and Arizona, came into crowning achievements." He was primarily respon­ the Union during his administration. sible for the construction of the present Supreme Taft was not a showman. Perhaps because he did Court Building. On February 3,1930, Taft resigned not widely publicize his accomplishments, the pop­ because of a failing heart. He died in Washington on ular mind saw him as a vacillator and one who , 1930, and was buried in Arlington Na­ catered to "Big Business." Dissent grew within his tional Cemetery.