Alphonso Taft served as U.S. attorney general from 1876 to 1877 during the administration of President Ulysses S. Grant. Taft, who previously acted as Grant's Secretary of War, was the father of William Howard Taft, who served as both President and Chief Justice of the United States.

Taft was born in Townshend, Vermont on Nov. 5, 1810. He graduated from Yale University in 1833 and then tutored at a high school in Connecticut and Yale. While teaching, Taft studied law and was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1838. This was not unusual at the time, for most attorneys apprenticed with law firms rather than attend law school. In 1840 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and started a law practice. However, Taft soon became involved in civic affairs, serving as a member of the Cincinnati city council for three years. He later served as a member of the board of trustees of the University...