William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States who served from 1909 to 1913. A few years after stepping down as the President, he was appointed the Chief Justice of the United States, thus becoming the only person to have presided over both the executive and judicial branches of the United States federal government. He was a Republican with a rich political history and a leader during the Progressive Era which saw widespread social activism and political reform across the United States. Taft was born into a politically powerful family in Ohio; his father, a lawyer had served as the Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant. Following family traditions, William Taft enrolled at the Yale College in New Haven where he proved himself to be a talented and versatile student. Not only was he brilliant at academics, he was also a skilled athlete and a good dancer. He then went on to study law and was admitted to the bar. He found much success as a lawyer and held several high profile positions in the government. President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Taft as Secretary of War in 1904 and in this position he became actively involved in politics. Taft successfully ran for the presidency in 1908 and served one term.