Henry Waters Taft | |
|---|---|
 Taft in 1908 | |
| Born | (1859-05-27)May 27, 1859 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Died | August 11, 1945(1945-08-11) (aged 86) St. Luke's Hospital New York City |
| Education | Yale University (1880) |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Employer | Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft |
| Known for | Antitrust law |
| Political party | United States Republican Party |
| Spouse | Julia Walbridge Smith |
| Parent(s) | Alphonso Taft Louise Torrey |
| Relatives | William Howard Taft (brother) Horace Dutton Taft (brother) |
Henry Waters Taft (May 27, 1859 – August 11, 1945) was an American lawyer and writer. He was the son ofAlphonso and brother of PresidentWilliam Howard Taft. A renownedantitrust lawyer, he was aname partner atCadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
He graduated from Yale in 1880 with a BA, where he was a member ofSkull and Bones and commencement orator of the class of 1880.[1]: 7 Taft also studied at Cincinnati and Columbia Law Schools. He received an honorary MA fromYale in 1905.[2]
In 1882, he was admitted to the bar, and began the practice of law inOhio. Shortly afterward, he joined Strong & Cadwalader, in New York City, laterCadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. He also became counsel to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. After building up a reputation as a lawyer, Taft decided to run for Justice of theNew York Supreme Court. He was defeated. Two years later, he was offered the position byTheodore Roosevelt, but he declined. The following year, he was appointed to the Charter Revision Commission to revise charter of Greater New York. From 1905 to January 1907, he was a special assistant toAttorneys GeneralWilliam H. Moody andCharles Joseph Bonaparte to investigate and prosecute theTobacco Trust. During the trial, Taft pushed for the Tobacco Trust to release certain books, which they refused to submit as evidence. From 1917 to 1919, he was Chairman of the Permanent Legal Advisory Board for Greater New York. He also served on the Commission on Reorganisation of the New York State Government, from 1925 to 1926. In 1926, he was appointed to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Taft became one of the most noted lawyers in New York.
During the annual convention of the American Bar Association, the delegates made a trip toBohemian Grove. Taft who was among them said, 'There among the giant redwoods the spirit that is San Francisco was revealed to the visitors. The amalgamation of San Francisco Society through its love of beauty, through it cultural purpose has no duplicate in America and the Bohemian Club which unites the world of big business and the world of fine art, literature and cultural ideals could only exist in a community such as this.' Taft said his brother, William Howard Taft, was also very fond of theBohemian Club.
He was a Trustee of theMutual Life Insurance Company and theCentral Savings Bank.
Taft was a member of theNew York City Board of Education, from 1896 to 1900; Trustee of theCollege of the City of New York, from 1903 to 1905; Trustee of theNew York Public Library, from 1908 to 1919; President of the Council ofUniversity Settlement House, from 1917 to 1919; member of the Advisory Committee to investigate public schools of New York City, in 1931; member of the Committee on Cost of Public Education, in 1933; and President of theLeague for Political Education, from 1919 to 1935.
He was affiliated with theRepublican Party and was a delegate to theRepublican National Convention, in 1920 and 1924. Taft was a supporter of theLeague of Nations, and wrote several articles on the organisation for theNew York Times. He also wrote for other newspapers, includingThe Times.
Taft was Chairman of the Advisory Board ofThe Salvation Army for New York City from 1920 to 1940.
Taft died in New York City on August 11, 1945. He had been in the St. Luke's Hospital for fourteen weeks as the result of a hip injury received after a fall.[3]
He was a member of theAssociation of the Bar of the City of New York (Vice President, 1911–1912); Chairman of the War Commission, 1917-1920 (President, 1923–1925); theNew York County Lawyers' Association (Vice President, 1914–1918, 1923–1930; President, 1930–1932); the New York State Bar Association (President, 1919–1920); the American Bar Association (Chairman of the Committee on Jurisprudence and Law Reform);the New York Law Institute; the American Law Institute; the International Law Association; and the Maritime Law Association
He was a member of theCentury Association, City Midday Club of New York,Down Town Association, New England Society, Ohio Society, Park Avenue Association,Pilgrims of the United States,Psi Upsilon,Skull and Bones and theSons of the American Revolution.
Taft was President of theJapan Society of New York from 1923 to 1929 and from 1934 to 1941, resigning in December 1941 in the wake of theattack on Pearl Harbor. His law partnerGeorge W. Wickersham held the same position from 1931 to 1934.[4]
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