Who was the only U.S. President to later serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

Who was the only U.S. President to later serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? The answer is William Howard Taft.

Taft was the 27th president, serving from 1909 to 1913, and later became the 10th Chief Justice, serving from 1921 to 1930. He remains the only person in American history to hold both offices. His path reflected a long-standing preference for law and judging, even though national politics made him president first.

Before the White House, Taft was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, solicitor general, governor-general of the Philippines, and secretary of war. He had wanted to become Chief Justice for years. After losing reelection and leaving office, he returned to legal and academic work, including teaching at Yale.

President Warren G. Harding nominated Taft after Chief Justice Edward Douglass White died in 1921. The Senate confirmed him on June 30, and he took the judicial oath on July 11. As Chief Justice, Taft emphasized efficient court administration and helped strengthen the federal judiciary’s organizational structure. The common mix-up is assuming another president, such as Herbert Hoover or John Quincy Adams, also held the position; neither did.