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Charles Phelps Taft

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Charles Phelps Taft
Taft c. 1910-1915
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's1stdistrict
In office
March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897
Preceded byBellamy Storer
Succeeded byWilliam B. Shattuc
Personal details
Born(1843-12-21)December 21, 1843
Cincinnati, Ohio
DiedDecember 31, 1929(1929-12-31)(aged 86)
Cincinnati, Ohio
Resting placeSpring Grove Cemetery
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Anna Sinton
​
(m.1873)​
RelationsTaft family
Parent(s)Alphonso Taft
Fanny Phelps
EducationPhillips Academy
Alma materYale University
Columbia Law School
University of Heidelberg
Signature

Charles Phelps Taft(December 21, 1843 – December 31, 1929) was an American lawyer and politician who served as editor of theCincinnati Times-Starand owned both thePhiladelphia PhilliesandChicago Cubsbaseball teams.[1]From 1895 to 1897, he served one term in theU.S. House of Representatives.

Early life

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"Brother Charley" shown as part of president Taft's entourage

Taft was born on December 21, 1843, inCincinnati, Ohio.He was the eldest child born to Fanny Phelps (1823-1852) andAlphonso Taft(1810–1891). His father served as the 34thUnited States Attorney Generaland 31stUnited States Secretary of War,both under PresidentUlysses S. Grant.Among his younger half-brothers wasWilliam Howard Taft(1857–1930), the 27thPresident of the United Statesand 10thChief Justice of the United States,andHorace Dutton Taft(1861–1943), the founder ofThe Taft SchoolinWatertown, Connecticut,[2]to which he donated $150,000 in 1929.[3]

His maternal grandfather was Judge Charles Phelps, ofTownshend, Vermontand his paternal grandparents werePeter Rawson Taft(1785–1867) of theTaft familyand Sylvia (néeHoward) Taft. He was the uncle ofRobert Alphonso TaftandCharles Phelps Taft II,and the granduncle ofRobert Taft Jr.[1]

He was educated at thePhillips AcademyinAndover, Massachusettsand graduated fromYale Universityin 1864, and fromColumbia University's law department in 1866.[4]In 1867, he received another degree from theUniversity of Heidelberg.[1]

Career

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Following his graduation from Columbia Law School, he was admitted to the bar and became a partner in the law firm of Sage, Haacke & Taft. He remained with the firm until he left to study abroad in Germany and France.[4]

After returning from Germany, he resumed the practice of law in 1869 with GeneralEdward F. Noyes,who later served asU.S. Minister to Franceand the 30thGovernor of Ohio,at which point Taft was elected to theOhio State Legislature.[4]Ten years later in 1879, he became editor of theCincinnati Times-Star,which would later be bought by theCincinnati Post.This began the Taft media empire which was his main claim to fame.[1]

United States Congress

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In 1895, he went toCongressas a Republican succeedingBellamy Storer,but served only two years from March 4, 1895, until March 3, 1897. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1896 to theFifty-fifth Congressand his seat was taken byWilliam B. Shattuc.After retiring from Congress, he returned to the newspaper business.[1]

Taft was apresidential electorin the1904 presidential election.[5]

Baseball team ownership

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In 1905, Taft became a minority owner of theChicago CubswhenCharles Murphypurchased the club.[6]In 1909, Taft and Murphy fundedHorace Fogel's purchase of thePhiladelphia Phillies.[7]The pair publicly denied that they had purchased a second club, but did acknowledge that Taft was the owner ofPhiladelphia's National League Park.[8][9][10]After Fogel received a lifetime ban from baseball in 1912, Taft sold the Phillies toWilliam H. Locke.[7]In 1914, Murphy sold his stock in the Cubs to Taft, who namedCharles H. Thomas,the secretary under Murphy, as the new club president.[11]Taft sold the Cubs toCharles Weeghman,with some financial backing fromWilliam Wrigley Jr.,after the 1915 season.[11]In 1916, Taft sold his interest inWest Side Parkand National League Park to Murphy.[12]

Personal life

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1908 drawing byMarguerite Martynof Louise Taft, left, and Anna Sinton Taft, right

On December 4, 1873,[4]Taft was married to Anna Sinton (1850-1931), who was an heiress to a pig iron fortune, left by her fatherDavid Sinton.Together with her husband she began an art collection which she opened to the public from their home. Today their former home is theTaft Museum of Art.

  • Jane Taft (1874–1962), who married Albert S. Ingalls the son of railroad executiveMelville E. Ingallsin 1929.
  • David Sinton Taft (1876–1891)
  • Anna Louise Taft Semple (1879–1961)
  • Charles Howard Taft (1885–1931).

Taft died on December 31, 1929, inCincinnati, Ohio,[13]where he was buried atSpring Grove Cemetery.[1][14][15]He left an estate valued at $6,367,374.[16]

Descendants

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Through his daughter Jane, he was the grandfather of First World War flying aceDavid Sinton Ingalls(1899–1985), who married Louise Hale Harkness, daughter ofWilliam L. Harknessand granddaughter ofDaniel M. Harkness,who was instrumental in the formation ofStandard Oil.[17]He was also the grandfather of Anne Taft Ingalls, who married Rupert E. L. Warburton, "a scion of one of England's oldest families," in 1929.[18]His nephew,Charles Phelps Taft IIwho served as Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1955 to 1957 was named after him.

Legacy

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Following his death, Annie (Anna) Sinton Taft donated $5 million to theUniversity of Cincinnatiin 1930 and established a memorial fund after his name.[19]This fund was transformed in 2005 into the Charles Phelps Taft Research Center at the University of Cincinnati. The city ofTaft, Texaswas named after him in 1904.[20]

His art collection was said to be the most valuable in the West in 1908.[13]He owned at least two works each ofJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot,Jean-François MilletandErnest Meissonier,many pieces of fine Chinese porcelain,Portrait of a Man Rising from His ChairbyRembrandt,The Tompkinson BoysbyThomas Gainsborough,andThe Cobbler's ApprenticebyFrank Duveneck,as well as paintings byAnthony van Dyck,Frans Hals,Jan Steen,Meindert Hobbema,Francisco Goya,Joshua ReynoldsandRousseau.[13]

Sources

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  1. ^abcdef"TAFT, Charles Phelps - Biographical Information".bioguide.congress.gov.Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  2. ^Hudson, David L. (2011).The Handy Presidents Answer Book.Visible Ink Press.p. 289.ISBN9781578593583.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  3. ^"C.C Tafts Give Taft School $150,000".The New York Times.February 7, 1929.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  4. ^abcdCutter, William Richard (1915).New England Families, Genealogical and Memorial: A Record of the Achievements of Her People in the Making of Commonwealths and the Founding of a Nation.Lewis historical publishing Company. p.1051.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  5. ^"Index to Politicians: Taft".The Political Graveyard.RetrievedAugust 19,2022.
  6. ^"Want to Control Baseball Affairs".The New York Times.July 30, 1905.
  7. ^abConlin, Bill (April 5, 1983). "Up from the Cellar: Travesty, Tragedy, Triumph Have Visited Phillies".The Philadelphia Daily News.
  8. ^"Silent as to Philadelphia".The Boston Daily Globe.December 1, 1909.
  9. ^"Owes $16,500, Offers $5000: Fogel's Figure Doesn't Tempt Murray. Latter Prefers to Take Case to National Commission. C. P. Taft's Paper Explains Philadelphia Deal".The Boston Daily Globe.January 4, 1910.
  10. ^"Mrs C.P. Taft Buys Baseball Grounds".The New York Times.December 31, 1909.
  11. ^abLee, Andrew (2017).Cubs Time.Page Publishing Inc. p. 33.ISBN9781635688467.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  12. ^"Murphy Buys Ball Parks".The New York Times.July 13, 1916.
  13. ^abc"C.P. TAFT DEAD; EDITOR, ART PATRON; Half-Brother of Chief Justice and Former President Was Leader in Cincinnati. NOTED AS PHILANTHROPIST Gave Art Collection, His Home and $1,000,000 to Institute--Began Career as a Lawyer".The New York Times.January 1, 1930.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  14. ^"C.P. TAFT'S FUNERAL TODAY; His Brother, the Chief Justice, on Way to Cincinnati".The New York Times.January 2, 1930.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  15. ^"CINCINNATI MOURNS CHARLES P. TAFT; Notables at Editor's Funeral-- Chief Justice Taft Escorts Brother's Widow".The New York Times.January 3, 1930.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  16. ^"Charles P. Taft Left $6,367,374".The New York Times.March 20, 1930.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  17. ^"Milestones, Feb. 9, 1931".Time.February 9, 1931. Archived fromthe originalon October 22, 2012.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  18. ^"ANNE TAFT INGALLS WED IN CLEVELAND; Chief Justice's Great-Niece Is Married to Rupert E.L. Warburton. KEEPS" OBEY "IN SERVICE Audrie M. Meyer Becomes Bride Here of Werner A. Gunther, a German Flier in War".The New York Times.April 11, 1929.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  19. ^"Mrs. Charles P. Taft Gives $2,000,000 to Aid 'Humanities' Study as Memorial to Husband".The New York Times.May 7, 1930.RetrievedDecember 15,2017.
  20. ^Texas State Historical Association
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related toCharles Phelps Taft.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of theU.S. House of Representatives
fromOhio's 1st congressional district
March 4, 1895–March 4, 1897 		Succeeded by
Business positions
Preceded by Owner of thePhiladelphia Phillies
1905–1913 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Owner of theChicago Cubs
1914–1916 		Succeeded by
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