Messages and Papers of
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT

March 4, 1909, to March 4, 1913

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was born in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, September 15, 1857; was graduated in 1874 from Woodward High School; graduated from Yale University in 1878; graduated in law from Cincinnati College in 1880, in which year he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Ohio; appointed assistant prosecuting attorney in 1881; resigned in 1882 to become collector of internal revenue, first district of Ohio, under President Arthur; resigned collectorship in 1883 to enter the practice of law; in 1887 was appointed by Governor Foraker Judge of the Superior Court of Cincinnati; resigned in 1890 to become Solicitor-General of the United States under appointment of President Harrison; resigned in 1892 to become United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Judicial Circuit; in 1896 became professor and dean of the law department of the University of Cincinnati; resigned in 1900 the circuit judgeship and deanship to become, by appointment of President McKinley, president of the United States Philippine Commission; in 1901, by appointment of President McKinley, became first Civil Governor of the Philippine Islands; was appointed Secretary of War by President Roosevelt February 1, 1904.

Nominated at Chicago on June 18, 1908, as Republican candidate for the Presidency, and was elected at the Presidential election following.

On the 10th of February, 1909, by a joint session of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the electoral vote was counted, which resulted in 321 votes for W. H. Taft and 162 votes for W. J. Bryan, giving Mr. Taft a majority of 159 votes.

He was duly inaugurated President of the United States on March 4, 1909.