Who is the only person to serve as both U.S. President and Chief Justice?

Last updated: November 5, 2024

While Americans crowd into voting booths this Election Day, here's a plot twist: one president couldn't wait to get out. In fact, he dumped the most powerful job in America for a comfier chair – one of nine, to be exact. Which commander-in-chief jumped ship to join the Supreme Court?

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The answer is: William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft had a problem: his wife wanted him to be president. He wanted to wear a robe to work.

In 1908, Taft found himself trapped in a political arranged marriage. Theodore Roosevelt played matchmaker, America said "I do," and Taft became the most reluctant president to ever sit in the Oval Office. And sit he did – often dozing off during cabinet meetings, dreaming of supreme glory.

As president, Taft moved with all the enthusiasm of a teenager forced to attend their parents' dinner party. He (allegedly) broke the White House bathtub, feuded with his former BFF Teddy Roosevelt, and speedily drove his presidency into a ditch. In the 1912 election, he came in third – behind Wilson and Roosevelt – and couldn't have been happier about it.

Then, in 1921, Taft finally got his dream job: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The man who once dozed through presidential meetings suddenly became the Court's Red Bull, revolutionizing procedures and running the show with the energy of someone who finally found their calling.

He even dropped 80 pounds after leaving the presidency. Apparently, the weight of unwanted power is real – about 80 pounds real.

On the bench, Taft transformed from a political punchline into a judicial heavyweight. When lawyers droned on, he dropped zingers sharper than his gavel. To one apologetic attorney: "You're not taking up our time, you're taking up your time." The presidency never saw this side of him – probably because it was too busy watching him nap.

Later, Taft wrote, "I don't remember that I ever was President." Coming from anyone else, this would sound like sour grapes. From Taft, it was a love letter to the job he was meant to have.

So next time someone tells you to chase your dreams, remember William Howard Taft – the only person in history to lead both the Executive and Judicial branches. He traded the world's most powerful job for the one he actually wanted, proving that sometimes the best career move is admitting you're in the wrong career.

Besides, those Supreme Court robes are way more forgiving than presidential suits.

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