Background
Taft, Russell Smith was born on January 28, 1835 in Williston, Vermont, United States. Son of Elijah and Orinda (Kimball) Taft.
Taft, Russell Smith was born on January 28, 1835 in Williston, Vermont, United States. Son of Elijah and Orinda (Kimball) Taft.
Educated in common schools, Williston Academy, and Newbury, Vermont, Seminary. (Master of Arts, University of Vermont, 1877. Doctor of Laws, 1899).
Among the prospective attorneys who learned the law in Taft"s office was Rufus East. Brown, who later served as Vermont Attorney General. Taft was also the first President of the Vermont Life Insurance Company, and later served as its Vice President. A Republican, Taft served as a Selectman for the Town of Burlington from 1861 to 1864.
After Burlington was incorporated as a city Taft served as an Alderman from 1865 to 1869.
From 1862 to 1865 Taft was Chittenden County State"s Attorney, and he was Chittenden County"s Register of Probate from 1863 to 1880. Taft served in the Vermont Senate from 1865 to 1866, and he was Burlington"s City Attorney from 1871 to 1872.
In 1872 Taft was the successful Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor, and he served from October, 1872 to October, 1874. In 1874 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor, losing to Asahel Peck.
Taft represented Burlington in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1880.
In 1880 the Vermont Assembly elected Taft an Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court. He served until 1899, when he was appointed Chief Justice, replacing Jonathan Ross, who had been appointed to the United States Senate. Taft served as Chief Justice until his death.
He died in Burlington, Vermont on March 22, 1902.
He was buried in Williston"s Morse Cemetery. Chief Justice Taft was the recipient of honorary degrees from the University of Vermont, receiving a Master of Arts in 1877, and a Doctor of Laws in 1899.
Member legislature, 1880.