William Howard Taft – 1857-1930

Taft was handpicked by Theodore Roosevelt as his Republican successor to the presidency. He served from 1909 to 1913, but his conservatism was a disappointment to Roosevelt, who ran against him on the Progressive (Bull Moose) ticket in 1912, and the incumbent Taft came in a humiliating third behind Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. Wilson’s successor, Warren G. Harding, appointed Taft chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He served from 1921 to 1930.