William Howard Taft was graduated from the Woodward high school at Cincinnati in 1874 and from Yale college in 1878. Although strong and fearless he was not prominent in athletic sports and games during his college career, but when he took part in them he proved a formidable antagonist. His college work was done with systematic faithfulness. He won the second place in a class of one hundred and twenty members, and was class orator at graduation.
After completing his studies at Yale he entered the Cincinnati law school, from which he was graduated with high honors in 1880. Admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of Ohio in the same year he became connected with the law firm of Taft and Lloyd, of which his father was the senior partner, and also reported court proceedings, first for the Cincinnati "Times," and afterwards for the Cincinnati "Commercial." As a law reporter his work was noticeably good. One of the leading editors in the West, impressed by the character of Mr, Taft's work in reporting, recommended journalism as a profession; but fortunately for the country as well as for himself his inclinations held him to the practice of law. In January, 1881, he became assistant prosecuting attorney, but he resigned in March of the following year to take the office of collector of internal revenue for the first Ohio district, to which he had been appointed by President Arthur. A year later he resigned and resumed the practice of law. From January, 1885, he was assistant county solicitor for Hamilton county until March, 1887, when he was appointed, by Governor Foraker, Judge of the Superior Court of Cincinnati. At the expiration of the term, in April, 1888, he was elected to this office for five years, but in February, 1890, he resigned to become, by appointment of President Harrison, solicitor-general of the United States. While holding this position he represented the Government before the Supreme Court of the United States in several most important cases, including the Bering Sea controversy, and he was uniformly successful. In March, 1892, he resigned in order to accept the position of United States Circuit Judge for the sixth judicial circuit. While acceptance of the position last named was under consideration a prominent legal friend advised that it be declined. This advice was based on the ground that the remarkable success of Mr. Taft, especially with the cases which he had argued before the United States Supreme court, would enable him to earn in private practice probably six times the six thousand dollars per year which he would receive
