Royal Chapin Taft Sr. (February 14, 1823 – June 4, 1912) was a US politician and businessman, whose served as the 39th Governor of Rhode Island from 1888 to 1889. He was a member of the Taft political family; as a descendant of Robert Taft Sr., he was a distant cousin of President of the United States William Howard Taft.
Royal Chapin Taft, Sr. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 39th Governor of Rhode Island | |
| In office May 29, 1888 – May 28, 1889 | |
| Lieutenant | Enos Lapham |
| Preceded by | John W. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Herbert W. Ladd |
| Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives | |
| In office 1880–1884 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Royal Chapin Taft February 14, 1823 Northbridge, Massachusetts |
| Died | June 4, 1912 (aged 89) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Mary Frances Armington |
| Children | Royal Chapin Taft Jr. (died 1942) |
| Parent(s) | Orsmus Taft Margaret Smith |
| Residence | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Education | Worcester Academy Cornell University |
| Profession | Businessman (banking and railroads) |
Biography
editTaft was born in Northbridge, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1823, and was educated at Worcester Academy. His parents were Orsmus Taft and Margaret (Smith) Taft; on October 31, 1850, he married Mary Frances Armington.[1] They had four children.[2]
He served as the treasurer of Central Congregational Church in Providence from 1855 to 1856.[3] He belonged to the Republican Party, and was an elected member of Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1880 to 1884 before his term as governor.
Taft was a member of the firm Bradford & Taft, wool dealers, from which he retired in 1885.[2] He was also president of Merchants' National Bank from 1868[4] president of the Boston & Providence Railroad, and a director of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (which took control of the B&P in 1893).
In 1890 he became a charter member of the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He served as the Society's president from 1897 to 1898.
He died June 4, 1912, at his home in Providence, Rhode Island.[5][2] At the time of his death, he was the oldest living ex-governor of Rhode Island.[2] He is interred at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.[6]
Legacy
editHe was a patron of the arts, with a large private collection; parts of his collection are now part of various institutions such as the Rhode Island School of Design.[7]
Taft Hall at the University of Rhode Island is named after him,[8] as well as the Royal C. Taft Outpatient Building (1891) at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.[9]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ According to [1], he was at that time resident in New York.
- ^ a b c d "Obituary: Ex-Governor Royal C. Taft". Brooklyn, NY: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 5 June 1912. p. 3. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Historical manual of the Central Congregational Church, Providence, R.I. 1852-1902. 1902. p. 93.
- ^ See "Industries and Wealth of Rhode Island, page 1". Archived from the original on 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2006-08-17., which claims to be a transcript of "Industries and Wealth of the Principal Points in Rhode Island, being the city of Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, Newport, Narragansett Pier, Bristol & Westerly." from 1892
- ^ "Ex-Gov. Royal C. Taft Dead. Retired Rhode Island Banker Was 90 and Kin of President Taft". New York Times. June 5, 1912.
- ^ "ROYAL CHAPIN TAFT". Ancestry.com. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
- ^ See footnote 4 on "RISD : Rhode Island School of Design : MUSEUM HISTORY". Archived from the original on 2006-09-07. Retrieved 2006-08-17., which describes Mrs. Taft giving the school 169 prints from his collection in 1945.
- ^ "URI History and Timeline". University of Rhode Island. Retrieved 18 Jul 2010.
- ^ Mentioned in [2], which is otherwise irrelevant
External links
edit- Royal C. Taft at Find a Grave
- "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Taft". Retrieved 2006-08-17.
- "University of Rhode Island virtual tour". Archived from the original on 2001-09-06. Retrieved 2006-08-17.