Description:

Taft William 1857 - 1930

William Taft signature as Secretary of War.

Signature clip of acting Secretary of War and future 27th U.S. president William H. Taft (1857-1930) on trimmed cream stock card measuring 3.75" x 2.5". Signed "Wm H Taft, Sec'y of War". In near fine condition. Area around signature is a little toned but it does not affect the signature.

William H. Taft had a formidable legal and political heritage. His father Alphonso Taft (1810-1891) had served as the 34th U.S. Attorney General and the 31st Secretary of War during the Grant administration. William Taft had a similarly eccentric combination of work experience. By the early twentieth century, Taft had served in roles as diverse as the 6th Solicitor Generalship of the United States, and the provisional governorship of the Philippines and Cuba. Taft served as 42nd Secretary of War under 26th U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) between 1904 and 1908. International issues that fell under Taft's purview included the first stages of construction of the Panama Canal; administration of the former Spanish colonies of Cuba and the Philippines; and orchestrating a cessation of the Russo-Japanese War.

Taft's tenure as Secretary of War was largely seen as just an intermediary step before the 1908 presidential election. As Teddy Roosevelt's ideological and practical successor, Taft was elected in 1908. Taft returned to his alma mater Yale University in the spring of 1913 to serve as the Kent Professor of Law and Legal History after leaving the White House. For the next eight years, Taft taught courses, delivered paid lectures, and published articles and books. Taft was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1921.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000