Frederick L. Taft
Frederick Lovett Taft (December 1, 1870 – April 7, 1913) was an American lawyer and judge in Ohio. A distant relative of President William Howard Taft, he was a leading figure in Cleveland politics and Ohio law from 1896 until his death in 1913.
Born in Braceville Township, Ohio, Taft studied at Mount Union College and Cincinnati Law School, earning his law degree in 1891. He worked as a lawyer in Cleveland, served as assistant city solicitor (1898–1901), and then joined the firm Smith, Taft & Arter. In 1906 he was appointed to the Ohio Courts of Common Pleas by Governor Andrew L. Harris and was nominated for a full term the next year.
Taft was a leader in the Ohio State Bar Association, serving as its president for 1912–1913. He played a major role in Republican politics, chairing several local and state committees and attending the 1908 Republican National Convention.
He married Mary Alice Arter in 1901, and they had four children: Kingsley Arter (1903), Charles Newton (1904), Frederick Lovett Jr. (1906), and Laura Emily (1909). Taft was active in many clubs and organizations and was a 32nd-degree Freemason.
Taft died of a stroke on April 7, 1913, in Cleveland, and was buried at Lake View Cemetery.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 01:00 (CET).