William Taft: The Largely Forgotten President

While widely known for his sizable girth of 300 pounds, and haunted by anecdotes of becoming stuck in the bathtub, William Howard Taft was a serious public servant, an effective President, and an important Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Retired teacher Gordon Williams will look at both the anecdotes and the legacy of President Taft in a presentation hosted by Newtown Historical Society on Monday, February 7, at 7:30 pm. The presentation will be in the community room of C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main Street.

The program is being offered one week earlier than usual this month to accommodate Valentine’s Day the following Monday.

Following his graduation from law school, Taft made enough of a name, and had enough family connections, to become a judge seven years after beginning his law practice. He was not to have a static career, however, being appointed the nation’s youngest Solicitor General three years later.

Bouncing between judiciary appointments and service in the executive branch of government, Taft was to serve as an able governor of the Philippines following the decisive victory of the United States in the Spanish American War of 1898. Appointed by his friend and close political ally Theodore Roosevelt, Taft later served as Secretary of War and acting Secretary of State, becoming virtual president in Roosevelt’s absence since there was no vice president.

In 1908 Taft was the hand-picked successor to Roosevelt, and won election easily. His four years were marked by actively pursuing Roosevelt’s trust-busting efforts, but also by a lack of tact and political savvy, which led him to make many enemies.

Although he had never wanted to be President, Taft was able to outmaneuver both Roosevelt and progressive Senator Robert LaFollette to secure his renomination. The ensuing campaign saw Roosevelt run as a third-party candidate with much Republican backing, and Taft went down to the then-worst defeat in Presidential history, taking only the states of Vermont and Utah.

Finally, in 1921, Warren Harding appointed Taft to the position he had always coveted: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, in which place he served admirably, making many needed reforms in the court’s operations, until shortly before his death in 1930.   

Gordon Williams is a historian and former teacher well known to groups in Newtown. He was Trumbull’s Teacher of the Year, a Fulbright Scholar and exchange teacher, and still loves to spin a historic tale.

He has spoken before for the historical society, of which he is a former president, and other local groups many times. He is also active with Newtown Lions Club.

Newtown Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the presentation. Reservations are not necessary, but additional information is available by leaving a message at 203-426-5937.