WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT: PRESIDENT AND CHIEF JUSTICE - Page 3© John S. Cooper
Page 3
Dec 17, 1999
Taft began a campaign to get the nomination; indeed, he virtually nominated himself. He used letters, friends, and newspapers to convince Harding to nominate him. Almost every leading paper in the nation called upon Harding to name Taft to the post. Letters from leading lawyers and law professors and support from major Republican leaders added to the pressure on Harding. The fact is that Harding would probably have named Taft anyway, but this campaign removed any doubt. When named Chief Justice, Taft exulted, "I love judges and I love courts. They are my ideals on earth of what we shall meet afterward in Heaven under a just God." He loved his years in charge of the Supreme Court. He wrote almost 20 per cent of the Court's opinions, taking most of the important or controversial cases for himself. He also provided administrative and technical leadership second to none up to that time. Taft sponsored and lobbied for the famous "Judges Bill" of 1925. This bill reorganized the federal court system. In addition, Taft "advised" Presidents Harding, Coolidge and Hoover on judicial appointments at every level. He truly had an unprecedented effect on the judicial system. He was popular and respected by all the members of the Court, most of whom he had appointed. They called him "Big Chief" and followed his personal leadership even if one or two of them dissented from his opinions on occasion. "His orchestration of consensus, of massing the Court into a majority, was often spectacular; he was a superb judicial leader and architect." Taft resigned on February 3, 1930, and died on March 8 the same year. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Taft and John Kennedy are the only Presidents buried there. William Howard Taft remains the only person to serve as both President and Chief Justice of the United States. He was much happier on the Supreme Court than he was in the White House. He called the position of Chief Justice "next to my wife and children...the nearest thing to my heart in life."
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Yes, Taft was certainly an interesting figure. The stories about his weight should be tempered by the fact that he was a college baseball star, and even at his heaviest, played tennis weel and was co ...
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Hi John,After I read the Bull Moose Campaign article, I spotted this one and couldn't resist reading it. Taft was an interesting figure, even if he didn't want to be president! I thoroughly en ...
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Yes, TR was referring to his portliness with his remark about sitting on the lid. Actually, it was a play on words (I love puns). He was expressing his confidence about Taft's ability to handle thin ...
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Actually you gave me all the info I needed. I was suprised to learn how often non-military people held that post.I wonder if TR was refering to Taft's portliness when he said he never worried abo ...
-- posted by StateOFranklin
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JB, Excellent questions. Here are some answers off the top of my head: No, you didn't miss a thing (you never do). Taft's experience as Governor of the Philippines actually gave him more mili ...
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