In 1900, President William McKinely appointed Taft chair of a commission to organize a civilian government in the Philippines which had been ceded to the United States at the close of the Spanish-American War. From 1901 to 1904 Taft served successfully as the first civilian governor of the Philippines. In 1904 Theodore Roosevelt named Taft secretary of war. After serving nearly two full terms, popular Teddy Roosevelt refused to run in 1908. Instead, he promoted Taft as the next Republican president. With Roosevelt's help, Taft handily defeated Democrat William Jennings Bryan. Throughout his presidency, Taft contended with dissent from more liberal members of the Republican party, many of whom continued to follow the lead of former President Roosevelt.
Progressive Republicans openly challenged Taft in the Congressional elections of 1910 and in the Republican presidential primaries of 1912. When Taft won the Republican nomination, the Progressives organized a rival party and selected Theodore Roosevelt to run against Taft in the general election. Roosevelt's Bull Moose candidacy split the Republican vote and helped elect Democrat Woodrow Wilson.
From 1921 until 1930, Taft served his country as chief justice of the Supreme Court. In an effort to make the Court work more efficiently, he advocated passage of the 1925 Judges Act enabling the Supreme Court to give precedence to cases of national importance.
A third generation of the Taft family entered the national political stage in 1938. The former president's son, Robert A. Taft, was elected to the Senate. A vociferous critic of the New Deal, Robert Taft was a Republican leader in the Senate from 1939-1953.
Learn more about William Howard Taft:
- Examine several panoramic photographs featuring President Taft, including one of a dinner party Taft hosted while Secretary of War. Search across the pictorial collections on William Taft to find more photographs of the president.
- Additional resources for learning about the American presidents are available through Presidents in American Memory, a feature presentation of the Learning Page.
- Read Today in History features on U.S. presidents including George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Search the archive on president to access these documents and more.
