A Brief Biography of William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States

This easy-to-understand guide to the life and career of President William Howard Taft (equivalent in length to a physical book of approximately 16 pages), was written especially for the esteemed multi-volume “World Book: Organized Knowledge in Story and Picture” (1919 edition).

Sample passage:
In 1900, at the close of the Filipino insurrection, President McKinley appointed a civil commission, partly to investigate conditions and partly to govern the islands. Of this commission Judge Taft, against his desires, was made chairman. With the four other members he made a tour of the islands to learn their needs at first hand. As a result of this investigation civil government was restored on July 4, 1901, and Judge Taft became the first civil governor. During the four years for which he held this office he not only carried out the work he was sent to do, but also made himself popular both among the natives and the American residents, and won a high reputation as a colonial administrator. After order was restored, Governor Taft introduced, one by one, minor civil courts in various parts of the island, a new system of land records, records of vital and social statistics, sanitary regulations, common schools, with Americans as teachers, and many other improvements.

About the Author:
W. F. Zimmerman was a staff editor of “World Book: Organized Knowledge in Story and Picture.”