Robert Taft Jr.

This article is about Robert Taft, Jr., the 1960s U.S. representative and 1970s U.S. Senator for Ohio. For his father, also a U.S. Senator for Ohio, see Robert A. Taft. For Robert Taft III, his son, the 2000s Ohio governor, see Bob Taft.

Robert Taft Jr.
United States Senator from Ohio
In office January 3, 1971 – December 28, 1976
Preceded by	Stephen M. Young
Succeeded by	Howard Metzenbaum
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 1st district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971
Preceded by	John J. Gilligan
Succeeded by	William J. Keating
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's at-large district
In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965
Preceded by	seat established
Succeeded by	Robert E. Sweeney
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
In office 1955–1962
Personal details
Born	Robert Alphonso Taft, Jr. (1917-02-26)February 26, 1917 Cincinnati, Ohio
Died	December 7, 1993(1993-12-07) (aged 76) Cincinnati, Ohio
Nationality	American
Spouse(s)	Blanca Duncan Noel Katherine Longworth Whittaker, Joan McKelvy

Robert Alphonso Taft Jr. (February 26, 1917 – December 7, 1993) was a member of the Taft political family who served as a Republican Congressman from Ohio between 1963 and 1965, as well as between 1967 and 1971. He also served as a U.S. Senator between 1971 and 1976.

Taft attended Yale University and Harvard Law School. At Yale he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. During World War II, Taft served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1942 to 1946. After law school, Taft joined the Cincinnati law firm, Taft, Stettinius, and Hollister, which had been founded by his father. Taft served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1955 to 1962 until winning election to the United States House of Representatives. Taft won election to the United States House of Representatives in 1962 as an at-large representative from Ohio (at-large seats were barred by the Voting Rights Act).

In 1955 he became a compatriot of the Sons of the American Revolution.

In 1964, rather than running for re-election to the House, he ran for the U.S. Senate, but he lost to Stephen M. Young. In 1966, Taft returned to the House of Representatives, unseating Democratic incumbent (and future Governor of Ohio) John J. Gilligan. In 1968, Taft won re-election, defeating Democrat Carl F. Heiser. Taft then won Young's U.S. Senate seat six years after losing to him when Young did not run for re-election, running against Howard Metzenbaum. Taft, however, lost six years later in a rematch against Metzenbaum. He resigned six days before the end of his term to resume the practice of law.

On November 29, 1993, Taft suffered a stroke and fell into a coma. He never woke from the coma and died on December 7, 1993.

Family

Robert Jr. was a great-grandson of Secretary of War Alphonso Taft, grandson of President William Howard Taft and First Lady Helen Louise "Nellie" Herron as well as Lloyd Wheaton Bowers and Louisa Bennett Wilson. He was the second son of Senator Robert Alphonso Taft, Sr. (1889-1953) and Martha Wheaton Bowers (1889-1958). In 1939 Robert Jr. married Blanca Duncan Noel (1917-1968), daughter of Lewis W. Noel and Natalie Duncan. They were the parents of Ohio Governor Robert Alphonso "Bob" Taft III, Sarah Butler Taft, Deborah Taft, and Jonathan Duncan Taft. After Blanca's death, Robert Jr. remarried to Katherine Longworth Whittaker, widow of his distant cousin David Gibson Taft. They divorced in 1977. In October, 1978, he married the former Joan McKelvy, also of Cincinnati. Joan died on January 16, 2015.

References

• http://www.history.army.mil/books/Last_Salute/Ch9.htm
• http://family.hodank.com/jumbo/group5/f_2637.html#0
• http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-978706.html
• http://mikehaydock.com/p608.htm#i53887
• https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19700514&id=u6ZGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ySwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1001,5329446
• http://enquirer.com/editions/2000/11/28/loc_governors.html