Following his defeat for re-election in 1912, William Howard Taft and sought the opportunity to practice law. He ended up becoming the Kent Professor of Law and Legal History at Yale Law School. Taft held the academic position until 1921 when he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, which made him the first person to serve as both president and chief justice. He served as chief justice until 1930 when he retired because of his poor health. On March 8, 1930, Taft died from cardiovascular disease. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery, thus becoming a first president buried at the cemetery.
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William Howard Taft Birthplace in Cincinnati, Ohio
Alphonso and Louisa Maria Taft lived in Mount Auburn, just a mile from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. The couple lived in a Greek Revival house where William Howard Taft was born on Sept. 15, 1857. William lived at the house until entering Yale University in 1874. The house was sold in 1899, and later restored with the aid of the William Howard Taft Memorial Association, who transferred the property to the National Park Service in 1969. The National Park Service operates the property as the William Howard Taft National Historic Site, which became a national historic landmark in 1964.