The reluctant president: Taft’s 20-year detour from his Supreme Court dream

Taft’s Unwilling Journey from Cincinnati to White House

William Howard Taft never wanted to be president. Born in Cincinnati in 1857, he dreamed of one thing: a seat on the Supreme Court.

Yet two forces pushed him toward the White House – his wife Nellie, who had vowed at 17 to become First Lady, and his boss Teddy Roosevelt, who picked him as his heir.

Taft tried to say no.

He turned down Supreme Court offers three times to keep his political path clear, all while wishing he could take the job he truly wanted.

The Mount Auburn house where this reluctant president was born now tells the story of the only man who served as both President and Chief Justice.

Cincinnati’s Family of Judges Shaped Young Taft

Bill Taft was born on September 15, 1857, in Cincinnati’s Mount Auburn area.

His father, Alphonso Taft, worked as a judge who knew future presidents Benjamin Harrison and Rutherford Hayes.

Young Will was smart from the start, finishing second in his Yale class in 1878 before going to Cincinnati Law School.

From day one, he wanted one job above all others: Supreme Court Justice.

This dream pushed him forward as he moved up through Republican judge jobs. His childhood home is now the William Howard Taft National Historic Site.

He Wanted a Supreme Court Seat From His Twenties

At just 29, Taft got a spot as judge on the Ohio Superior Court in 1887, winning a five-year term the next year. By 32, he openly pushed for a Supreme Court seat in 1889.

He wrote to Governor Foraker asking for the job, though he told friends he probably wouldn’t get what he wanted so badly.

Instead, he became Solicitor General in 1890, where he showed his legal skills by winning 15 of 18 Supreme Court cases.

In 1892, he moved to the federal circuit court, spending eight years as an appeals judge – a time he later called “blissful.”

A Teenage Girl Promised to Become First Lady

Helen “Nellie” Herron visited the White House at 17 as a guest of President and Mrs. Hayes in 1878.

She later called it “the only unusual event” of her girlhood and the “high point of human joy.” She met William Taft at a sledding party in 1880 but said no to his first marriage offer.

When they finally wed in 1886, he had talked her into working together for their “joint success” – though they had very different ideas about success.

Nellie Pushed Him Away From His Beloved Courts

Each step in Taft’s career made Nellie happy: state judge, Solicitor General, federal circuit judge. But she worried judge jobs would block his path to the presidency.

She pushed him toward management jobs that would get his name known nationwide instead. While Taft loved the quiet work of courts, Nellie built Republican friends in Washington and urged her husband to do the same.

She handled their money and constantly nudged him toward the executive branch rather than his favorite judicial path.

The Philippines Job Got His Name in Newspapers

President McKinley offered Taft the civilian governor job in the Philippines in 1900, promising he could return for a Supreme Court seat later.

Nellie urged him to take it despite the unknown challenges, seeing it as a step toward bigger things. Taft handled the end of the Philippine-American War and set up civilian government there.

Nellie jumped into her diplomatic role with joy, enjoying trips to Japan and China along the way. This job put Taft’s name in newspapers across America and showed he could handle leadership roles.

Roosevelt Offered The Supreme Court Three Times

After McKinley was killed in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became president and quickly offered Taft a Supreme Court seat.

Between 1901 and 1904, Roosevelt made this offer twice, and both times Taft said no.

Nellie helped change his mind, wanting to keep the White House door open. Taft admitted he always wanted the Court but went along with Nellie’s bigger plans.

Instead, he took Roosevelt’s offer to become Secretary of War in 1904. This choice kept him in the spotlight and on the path Nellie and Roosevelt wanted for him.

His Wife And Roosevelt Teamed Up Against His Wishes

Justice Henry Billings Brown stepped down in 1906, and Roosevelt offered Taft the seat again – the third time.

Once more, Nellie talked her husband into saying no, keeping their focus on the 1908 presidential election.

Roosevelt had promised not to run again and started pushing Taft as his replacement. Taft worked as Roosevelt’s problem-solver and legal advisor.

Between 1905 and 1907, Taft sadly accepted what seemed certain – he would be the Republican presidential pick, whether he wanted it or not.

The Reluctant Candidate Won Despite His Doubts

Roosevelt pushed hard for Taft as his chosen successor throughout 1905-1906. The Republican convention picked Taft on the first ballot in 1908.

Both Nellie and Roosevelt had to convince the unsure Taft to actively campaign for the job. He told Roosevelt: “It is awful to be afraid of one’s shadow” about the presidential campaign.

Despite his doubts, he campaigned well against William Jennings Bryan, winning the electoral vote 321 to 162.

The man who never wanted to be president was heading to the White House.

The First Lady Finally Got Her Childhood Wish

Taft’s win in 1908 gave Nellie the job she had dreamed about since she was 17.

She became the first First Lady to ride with the president from the swearing-in to the White House. The New York Times noted few had been so “well prepared” to be First Lady, given her diplomatic background.

While Taft felt “like a fish out of water” as president, Nellie took to the White House like she was born for it. She jumped right into a busy party schedule and made changes to White House operations.

The President Envied His Own Supreme Court Appointee

Taft picked Edward White as Chief Justice in 1910 and couldn’t hide his true feelings.

He told his attorney general: “There is nothing I would have loved more than being chief justice.” He wrote that he loved judges and courts as “ideals that stand for what we’ll find in heaven.”

The duties of the presidency weighed heavily on him as he faced fights in Congress and splits in his party.

His friendship with Roosevelt fell apart as his former friend got ready to challenge him in the 1912 election.

Taft Finally Got His Dream Job At Age 63

The 1912 election crushed Taft, who finished third behind Wilson and Roosevelt, winning only Vermont and Utah.

He spent 1913-1921 teaching law at Yale, never giving up hope for a Supreme Court seat.

When Warren Harding nominated him as Chief Justice on June 30, 1921, the Senate confirmed him the same day by a vote of 60-4. At 63, Taft finally achieved the lifelong dream he had put aside for the presidency.

He called this appointment his “greatest honor” and later wrote: “I don’t remember that I ever was president.”

The reluctant president had become the enthusiastic Chief Justice at last.

Visiting William Howard Taft National Historic Site, Ohio

The William Howard Taft National Historic Site at 2038 Auburn Avenue in Cincinnati shows you the birthplace of America’s only president-turned-Chief Justice.

Admission is free, and you can take self-guided house tours daily or join weekend guided tours at 9am, 10am, 1pm, and 2pm.

The second floor exhibits explain Taft’s unique dual roles, while the Taft Education Center displays his political career and family story.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• The deranged diplomat wannabe who assassinated President Garfield in 1881
• The forgotten architect of America’s first Black ROTC program
• How tuberculosis silenced America’s first celebrated Black poet