Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 40 minutes ago
William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States, holds the distinction of being the first U.S. president to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. After serving as president from 1909 to 1913, Taft went on to become the 10th Chief Justice of the United States, making him the only person in history to have held both offices.
When he passed away on March 8, 1930, Taft was given a state funeral that took place on March 11, 1930. Following a service at All Souls' Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., his casket was transported in a solemn procession to Arlington, where he was laid to rest with full military honors. His burial marked a historic first for a U.S. president.
Taft’s final resting place is located on a scenic hill within the cemetery, near the grave of John F. Kennedy, another U.S. president later interred there. His wife, Helen Herron Taft, was also laid to rest beside him in 1943, making her the first First Lady buried at Arlington. Today, visitors can find Taft’s simple yet dignified tombstone, a fitting tribute to a man who shaped both the executive and judicial branches of the nation.
William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States, holds the distinction of being the first U.S. president to be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. After serving as president from 1909 to 1913, Taft went on to become the 10th Chief Justice of the United States, making him the only person in history to have held both offices.
When he passed away on March 8, 1930, Taft was given a state funeral that took place on March 11, 1930. Following a service at All Souls' Unitarian Church in Washington, D.C., his casket was transported in a solemn procession to Arlington, where he was laid to rest with full military honors. His burial marked a historic first for a U.S. president.
Taft’s final resting place is located on a scenic hill within the cemetery, near the grave of John F. Kennedy, another U.S. president later interred there. His wife, Helen Herron Taft, was also laid to rest beside him in 1943, making her the first First Lady buried at Arlington. Today, visitors can find Taft’s simple yet dignified tombstone, a fitting tribute to a man who shaped both the executive and judicial branches of the nation.
