William Howard Taft

1857 – 1930

William Howard Taft was the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930, the only person ever to have held both offices. As governor of the Philippines from 1901 to 1903 he presided over the brutal U.S. counterinsurgency that followed the Spanish–American War, and as Chief Justice he authored opinions that consistently favored corporate interests over labor and civil-rights claimants. His massive girth—he was the heaviest president in U.S. history—has overshadowed in popular memory his role in expanding U.S. corporate power and global reach.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM