Charles Phelps Taft

Charles Phelps Taft (December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the powerful Taft family, whose members had been in politics since at least 1815, he graduated from Yale University in 1864, and from Columbia University's law department in 1866. In 1867 he received another degree from the University of Heidelberg. In 1869 he resumed his law practice and then in 1879 he became editor of... more

Charles Phelps Taft (December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the powerful Taft family, whose members had been in politics since at least 1815, he graduated from Yale University in 1864, and from Columbia University's law department in 1866. In 1867 he received another degree from the University of Heidelberg. In 1869 he resumed his law practice and then in 1879 he became editor of the Cincinnati Times-Star, which would later be bought by the Cincinnati Post. This began the Taft media empire which was his main claim to fame. In 1895 he went to Congress, but served only two years. He returned to the newspaper business after that and for a time owned the Chicago Cubs baseball team from 1914-1916. He was the son of Alphonso Taft, a co-founder of Skull and Bones Society at Yale and cabinet member for U.S. President U.S. Grant, half-brother of William Howard Taft, and namesake to nephew Charles Phelps Taft II. Taft married... less