Taft had served as a state court judge and a federal court judge, as well as a lawyer in the Department of Justice and Governor-General of the Philippines. However, Taft did not want to be president; his lifelong ambition was to become a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. At the time, though, there was no vacancy on the Court. Roosevelt persuaded him to run for president.

Taft agreed to become the Republican candidate in the 1908 presidential election. After securing the party’s nomination, he disliked going out to campaign for votes. He refused to engage in vigorous campaigning and spent most of his time at home enjoying the summer. He was tall and heavyset, weighing about 300 pounds, and disliked long journeys. Roosevelt urged him on, saying: “My friend, you must put in more effort. People need to see the real you. You may look gentle and easygoing, but when the time comes, you will be the strongest fighter.”

With Roosevelt’s firm support, Taft won a landslide victory. Taft promised to do his best as president. He admitted that he could not lead people the way Roosevelt did. Taft once said that when others addressed him as “Mr. President,” he would instinctively look around for Roosevelt, feeling as if they were calling Roosevelt instead.

Taft’s leadership style differed from Roosevelt’s. He believed that the president should not interfere excessively with Congress and should not seek special powers. In his view, the law stood above all else.

Progressives who had once supported Roosevelt did not support Taft. They believed Taft was too accommodating to conservatives and accused him of yielding to special interest groups. Taft, in turn, disliked the progressives, regarding them as overly emotional and extreme. Nevertheless, Taft made efforts to turn many of Roosevelt’s policies and initiatives into law. He achieved success in several areas. During his presidency, the federal government established the Department of Labor, and two constitutional amendments were approved by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.

One amendment authorized the federal government to levy an income tax; the other mandated the direct election of U.S. senators by voters. In addition, in dismantling trust monopolies that hindered free economic competition, Taft worked even more vigorously than Roosevelt.

After Serving as President, Taft Became Chief Justice

After losing the election, Taft returned to his alma mater as a professor of law and served as president of the American Bar Association. During World War I, he was vice chairman of the National War Labor Board.

In 1921, President Harding appointed him Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the position Taft cherished most. He once said: “The presidency passes like a parade; the Court endures forever.” He served as Chief Justice for ten years, resigning in 1930 due to poor health. Conservative in thought, cautious in action, and highly capable, Taft was widely regarded as having contributed as much as Chief Justice as he had as president.

Taft died in 1931 at the age of 73 and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.