Taft
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Taft. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
WILLIAM HOWARD, 27th States; born in President of the United 1857; was grad- Cincinnati, O., Sept. 15, in 1878, at the uated at Yale College Cincinnati College in Law School of to the bar in 1880; and was admitted of internal rev- 1881. He was collector in 1882; enue in the 1st District of Ohio 1883-1887; was judge of practiced law in Ohio in 1887-1890, the Superior Court of at the University and Professor of Law 1896-1900. In the latter of Cincinnati in of the year he was made president Commission, United States Philippine was appointed the and on June 5, 1901, of the Philippine first civil governor 1903, President Islands. In August, Governor Taft to be Roosevelt nominated Secretary secretary of war to succeed should resign in Root, when the latter The selection was January, 1904. frankly made in order that he might direct the administration of continue to residing in Philippine affairs, although This constituted a the United States. work in the Philiprecognition of his pines. He at once took up a new line of serthe pacification vice for the departmentlands where the of trouble in various right to attempt United States had the 1900 to 1907 he travadjustments. From spent 360 eled fully 100,000 miles and diplomatic missionary days at sea in his he was sent to Cuba by work. In 1906 the President to reconcile the warring time served as factions, and for a short that island. provisional governor of Cuba, Porto Early in 1907 he visited WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT Rico, and Panama, investigating disthen going to the turbed conditions; , on October 16, Philippine Islands, where Philippine Assembly he opened the first his journey Continuing at Manila. around the world, Mr. Taft was weland European comed in several Asiatic expressions capitals with most cordial . His visit to of friendship for America to cement the Japan especially helped and good-will, which bonds of amity particularly on short-sighted agitators, had been striving for the Pacific Coast, , if not to break. several years to strain delivered a In St. Petersburg Mr. Taft address on the subject of uninoteworthy he was freversal peace. On his return the "logical" candi quently mentioned as for the Presi date of the Republicans was indorsed for that dency in 1908, and State conoffice by many Republican nominated in June, ventions. He was portfolio at once, and, resigning the war campaign. In made a vigorous personal , receiving a November he was elected as against 6,popular vote of 7,811,143, Bryan, the Demo- 328,601 for William J. . The vote in the Eleccratic candidate toral College was: Taft, 321; Bryan, 162. In January, 1909, at the request of President Roosevelt, Mr. Taft made a visit of inspection to the Panama Canal with a party of engineers. Immediately after his inauguration, March 4, 1909, he convened Congress in extraordinary session to revise the tariff, and the bill enacted became effective on August 5. In the autumn of 1909 President Taft made an extensive tour of the country, in the course of which he met President Diaz of Mexico at the boundary line near El Paso, Texas. In 1910 he secured from a none-too-friendly Congress the enactment of much beneficial legislation, including laws authorizing postal-savings banks, requiring publicity for campaign funds, creating a Bureau of Mines and Mining, and several important measures dealing with railroads, conservation, reclamation, the tariff, and the Lighthouse Service. During 1911 he was particularly active in his efforts to secure arbitration treaties with England, and trade reciprocity with Canada. The treaty with England was duly signed by Secretary Knox and Ambassador Bryce on August 3d. The proposed reciprocity treaty with Canada was deferred for action by the Canadian Parliament. Among other beneficial acts passed during his administration were the establishment of the Parcels Post, Children's Bureau (1912); direct election of senators. Since 1912 Mr. Taft has filled the chair of Kent Professor of Law at Yale. He has been active in all movements to establish international peace. During the World War he was joint-chairman of the National Labor Conference Board. He took oath as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court on July 11, 1921.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
William Howard, the twenty-seventh president of the United States . He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, September 15, 1857. He was graduated at Yale in 1878 and studied law in Cincinnati College. A short term of practice was followed by a course of officeholding. He was county attorney, 1881; collector of revenue, 1883; judge of the superior court, 1887; United States solicitor general, 1890; United States circuit judge, 1892; chairman of a commission to organize civil government in the Philippines, 1900; civil governor of the Philippines, 1901; secretary of war in Roosevelt's cabinet, 1904. In 1908 Mr. Taft was nominated by the Republicans for the presidency. He was elected over William J. Bryan, his Democratic competitor, by a popular vote of 7,637,676, a plurality of 1,233,494. Taft had 321 electoral votes to 162 for Bryan. 2026 Editor's Note: Taft was the sitting president of these volumes — and history dealt him the kinder second act: the only person ever to head two branches, as Chief Justice from 1921, the job he had always wanted. See Taft . (Ed: BR 2026-06-17)