Horace Dutton Taft
Encyclopedia
Horace Dutton Taft was an American
educator, and the founder of The Taft School
in Watertown, Connecticut
, United States
.
He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio
, the younger brother of William Howard Taft
of the powerful Taft family
. He graduated from Yale University
in 1883, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
and won the Townsend Prize.
He went on to Cincinnati Law School, but passed the bar after his second year and practiced law briefly at a firm with his father Alphonso Taft
. Knowing he preferred education, he returned to Yale to tutor Latin.
In 1890 he opened a college preparatory school for boys in Pelham Manor, New York
.
On 29 June 1892 he married Winifred Shepard Thompson, an art teacher at a New Haven high school. She died of cancer in 1909. There were no children of the marriage.
In 1893 he moved his school to Watertown, Connecticut, purchasing the Warren House, a Civil War-era hotel, and adopting the name The Taft School in 1898.
Taft retired as headmaster in 1936 but continued to teach a course in Civics until his death.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator, and the founder of The Taft School
The Taft School
The Taft School is a private, coeducational prep school located in Watertown, Connecticut, USA. The school was founded by Horace Dutton Taft in 1890. It has 570 students, about 470 of whom live on the campus. Taft is a member of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization...
in Watertown, Connecticut
Watertown, Connecticut
Watertown is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 21,661 at the 2000 census. The zip code for Watertown is 06795. It is a suburb of Waterbury. It borders the towns of Woodbury, Middlebury, Litchfield, Plymouth, Bethlehem, and Thomaston.-Founding History:More...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, the younger brother of William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
of the powerful Taft family
Taft family
The Taft family of the United States hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, with historic origins in Massachusetts; its members have served Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, Utah, and the United States in various positions, such as Governor of Ohio, Governor of Rhode Island, U.S. Senator , U.S...
. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1883, where he was a member of Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones
Skull and Bones is an undergraduate senior or secret society at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. It is a traditional peer society to Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head, as the three senior class 'landed societies' at Yale....
and won the Townsend Prize.
He went on to Cincinnati Law School, but passed the bar after his second year and practiced law briefly at a firm with his father Alphonso Taft
Alphonso Taft
Alphonso Taft was the Attorney General and Secretary of War under President Ulysses S. Grant and the founder of an American political dynasty. He was the father of U.S...
. Knowing he preferred education, he returned to Yale to tutor Latin.
In 1890 he opened a college preparatory school for boys in Pelham Manor, New York
Pelham Manor, New York
Pelham Manor is a village located in Westchester County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 5,486. It is located in the town of Pelham.- Demographics :...
.
On 29 June 1892 he married Winifred Shepard Thompson, an art teacher at a New Haven high school. She died of cancer in 1909. There were no children of the marriage.
In 1893 he moved his school to Watertown, Connecticut, purchasing the Warren House, a Civil War-era hotel, and adopting the name The Taft School in 1898.
Taft retired as headmaster in 1936 but continued to teach a course in Civics until his death.