American diplomat and Attorney General (1810–1891)
Alphonso Taft
United States Minister to Russia
In office September 3, 1884 – July 31, 1885
Appointed by
Chester A. Arthur
Preceded by
William H. Hunt
Succeeded by
George V. N. Lothrop
United States Minister to Austria-Hungary
In office June 30, 1882 – August 25, 1884
Appointed by
Chester A. Arthur
Preceded by
William Walter Phelps
Succeeded by
John M. Francis
34th United States Attorney General
In office May 22, 1876 – March 4, 1877
President
Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded by
Edwards Pierrepont
Succeeded by
Charles Devens
31st United States Secretary of War
In office March 8, 1876 – May 22, 1876
President
Ulysses S. Grant
Preceded by
William W. Belknap
Succeeded by
J. Donald Cameron
Personal details
Born
(1810-11-05)November 5, 1810 Townshend, Vermont, U.S.
Died
May 21, 1891(1891-05-21) (aged 80) San Diego, California, U.S.
Resting place
Spring Grove Cemetery Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Spouses
Fanny Phelps
(m. 1841; died 1852)
Louise Torrey
(m. 1853)
Children
6, including Charles, William, Henry, Horace
Parents
Peter Rawson Taft (father)
Sylvia Howard (mother)
Education
Yale University (BA)
Signature
Alphonso Taft (November 5, 1810 – May 21, 1891) was an American jurist, diplomat, politician, Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. He was also the founder of the Taft political dynasty, and father of President and Chief Justice William Howard Taft.
As Secretary of War, Taft's popular appointment by Grant did much to restore the integrity of the War Department. Taft reformed the War Department by allowing commanders at Indian forts to choose who could start and run post traderships, and by making reductions in wasteful military spending. While serving as Attorney General, he strongly held that African Americans must not be denied the right to vote through intimidation and violence.[1] Attorney General Taft coauthored a bill to Congress, signed into law by President Grant, that created the Elections Commission that settled the controversial Hayes-Tilden presidential election.[2]
Taft was appointed as minister to Austria-Hungary by Chester A. Arthur in 1882. He served until July 4, 1884, and was then transferred by President Arthur to Minister of Russia, and he served in St. Petersburg until August 1885. Taft had a reputation for serving political office with integrity and character. Taft was a rare and modern 19th century politician who supported black voting rights and who reduced government corruption while holding office.
AlphonsoTaft (November 5, 1810 – May 21, 1891) was an American jurist, diplomat, politician, Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses...
Robert AlphonsoTaft III (born January 8, 1942) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007. A member...
legislator. He died in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. His son, AlphonsoTaft, was born in Townshend, Vermont, and attended Yale University, where...
appointed Taft to be chief justice, a position he held until a month before his death. Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1857. His father, AlphonsoTaft, was...
Peter Rawson Taft (April 14, 1785 – January 1, 1867) was an American lawyer, judge, and legislator. His son AlphonsoTaft served as the U.S. Secretary...
two-story Greek Revival house built circa 1845. William Howard Taft's father, AlphonsoTaft, came to Cincinnati from Vermont in 1838 to establish a law practice...
December 8, 1907) was the second wife of AlphonsoTaft, and the mother of U.S. President William Howard Taft. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the...
Waters Taft (May 27, 1859 – August 11, 1945) was an American lawyer and writer. He was the son of Alphonso and brother of President William Howard Taft. A...
Peter Rawson Taft (1785–1867) of the Taft family and Sylvia (née Howard) Taft. He was the uncle of Robert AlphonsoTaft and Charles Phelps Taft II, and the...
his second year and practiced law briefly at a firm with his father AlphonsoTaft. Knowing he preferred education, he returned to Yale to tutor Latin...
Robert Taft may refer to: Robert Taft Sr. (c. 1640–1725), 17th century founder of the U.S. Taft political family Robert Taft, 2nd (1674–1748), colonial-born...
Roosevelt was initially reluctant. He sent the Secretary of War William H. Taft and Assistant Secretary of State Robert Bacon to hold discussions in search...
Seth and Franny Taft had three sons: Frederick I. Taft, Thomas P. Taft, and Seth T. Taft, and a daughter, Cynthia Taft. Seth Taft served as Cuyahoga...
great-great-grandfather AlphonsoTaft (under President Ulysses S. Grant) and his great-grandfather William Howard Taft (under President Theodore Roosevelt). Taft served...
Ohio section of Taft's are descendants of Robert, Sr. The start of the five generations of Taft's in politics was with AlphonsoTaft. He was the founder...
Huntington Russell and AlphonsoTaft co-founded "The Order of the Skull and Bones". The first senior members included Russell, Taft, and thirteen other members...
co-founder of the Yale University secret society Skull and Bones, along with AlphonsoTaft.: 82 Russell was born in Middletown, Connecticut on 12 August 1809...
Huntington Russell (1833), Connecticut State Legislator, Major General: 82 AlphonsoTaft (1833), U.S. Attorney General (1876–1877), Secretary of War (1876),...
Southern District of New York New York April 26, 1875 May 21, 1876 34 AlphonsoTaft 31st United States Secretary of War Ohio May 22, 1876 March 4, 1877...
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