Royal Chapin Taft
| Royal Chapin Taft, Sr. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 39th Governor of Rhode Island | |
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In office May 29, 1888 – May 28, 1889 |
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| Lieutenant Governor | Enos Lapham |
| Preceded by | John W. Davis |
| Succeeded by | Herbert W. Ladd |
| Member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives | |
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In office 1880–1884 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Royal Chapin Taft February 14, 1823 Northbridge, Massachusetts |
| Died | June 4, 1912 (aged 89) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Frances Armington |
| Children | Royal Chapin Taft, Jr. (died 1942) |
| Parents | Orsmus Taft Margaret Smith |
| Residence | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Profession | Businessman (banking and railroads) |
Royal Chapin Taft, Sr. (February 14, 1823 – June 4, 1912) was a US politician and businessman, whose most distinguished post was that as the 39th Governor of Rhode Island, an office he held from 1888–1889. He was a member of the Taft political family; as descendant of Robert Taft, Sr., he was distant cousin of President of the United States William Howard Taft.
Taft was born in Northbridge, Massachusetts, on February 14, 1823, and was educated at Worcester Academy, where he graduated in 1872. His parents were Orsmus Taft and Margaret (Smith) Taft; on October 31, 1850, he married Mary Frances Armington. They had four children.
He belonged to the Republican Party, and was an elected member of Rhode Island House of Representatives from 1880-84 before his term as governor.
Taft was a member of the firm Bradford & Taft, wool dealers, from which he retired in 1885. He was also president of Merchants' National Bank from 1868 president of the Boston & Providence Railroad, and a director of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (which took control of the B&P in 1893).
In 1890 he became a charter member of the Rhode Island Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He served as the Society's president from 1897 to 1898.
He died June 4, 1912, at his home in Providence, Rhode Island. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living ex-governor of Rhode Island. He is interred at Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.
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