<p>^ I agree, JHS (post #99). </p>
<p>I wouldn’t place him in the same category as Jefferson and Lincoln, but William Howard Taft must have been a pretty smart fellow. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Yale, finishing #2 in his class, and after earning a law degree, practicing, and serving as a judge in Ohio was appointed Solicitor General of the United States at the age of 32, the youngest ever to hold that position. He then became a judge on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals at the age of 34, Governor-General of the Philippines, Secretary of War and Acting Secretary of State in Teddy Roosevelt’s administration before being elected President. After the presidency he taught law at Yale Law School and later became Chief Justice of the United States. Pretty amazing career for someone who is practically unknown to us today.</p>