Thursday, December 2, 2010

GENEALOGY AND ANCESTRY OF WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT, 27TH PRESIDENT

William Howard Taft is the only U.S. President to also serve as Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Because of his large size, a special bathtub had to be installed in the White House during his presidency. William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents were Alphonso Taft and Louisa Maria Torrey. On his father's side, Taft is descended from Charlemagne, William "the Conqueror", and Earl Gilbert de Clare. His father along with another individual formed the "Skull and Bones" secret society at Yale University. Later, his father was to serve as Attorney General of the United States and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. On his mother's side, Taft is descended from Henry Squire, a common ancestor of presidents Calvin Coolidge, Millard Fillmore, John Adams, and John Quincy Adams. For a detailed family tree, see http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/cgi-bin/gedlkup.php/n=presidents?presidents2075