Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Taft, William Howard

TAFT, William Howard, jurist, b. in Cincinnati, 15 Sept., 1857, is a son of Judge Alfonso Taft (q.v.). He was graduated from Yale, being second in the class of 1878, and from Cincinnati law-school two years later. He was appointed assistant prosecutor of Hamilton county in 1881, and collector of internal revenue the year following, resigning the office in March, 1883. In January, 1885, he was assistant solicitor of Hamilton county, and two years later became, by appointment of the governor, judge of the superior court of Cincinnati. In 1888 Judge Taft was elected to the same office for a term of five years. In February, 1890, he was appointed solicitor-general of the United States, and in March, 1892, he was made U.S. circuit judge for the 6th judicial district, which position he still occupies. Since 1896 Judge Taft has been dean and professor of the law department of the University of Cincinnati.