William Howard Taft III (August 7, 1915 – February 23, 1991) was the grandson of William Howard Taft and served as U.S. ambassador to Ireland from 1953 to 1957. His task was made easier by the fact that John A. Costello, Taoiseach 1954-57 was a personal friend; Taft described Costello as "pleasant and unassuming" whereas he had found Éamon de Valera "formal and aloof". (His predecessor George A. Garrett, had also found Costello more sympathetic than De Valera). Taft played a considerable part in organising Costello's successful State visit to the United States in March 1956. Taft was also a member of the Metropolitan Club of Washington D.C. until at least the mid-1980s, perhaps later. Taft was the father of William Howard Taft IV.
Famous quotes containing the words william howard taft, william howard, howard, taft and/or iii:
“Lawyers are necessary in a community. Some of you ... take a different view; but as I am a member of that legal profession, or was at one time, and have only lost standing in it to become a politician, I still retain the pride of the profession. And I still insist that it is the law and the lawyer that make popular government under a written constitution and written statutes possible.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“I do not think that there is any doubt about where I stand in respect to boycotts. If there is, I will just state what I think about them. They are illegal and ought to be suppressed. I would never countenance that which recognizes their legality.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“She does not realize that the only difference between us is that she is on one stage and I on another. I feel that I am acting just as much as she is.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“As a people, we have the problem of making our forests outlast this generation, or iron outlast this century, and our coal the next; not merely as a matter of convenience or comfort, but as a matter of stern necessity.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“Knavery seems to be so much a the striking feature of its inhabitants that it may not in the end be an evil that they will become aliens to this kingdom.”
—George III (1738–1820)