'''Kingsley Arter Taft''' ([[July 19]], [[1903]] – [[March 28]], [[1970]]) was an [[United States of America|American]] [[politician]] of [[Ohio]]'s [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] [[Taft family]] who served as chief justice of the [[Ohio Supreme Court]] and also served briefly as a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]].

Taft was born in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]. He graduated from [[high school]] there and received a bachelor's degree from [[Amherst College]] in [[1925]]. He received a law degree from [[Harvard University]] in [[1928]]. Taft then practiced as a [[lawyer]] in Ohio. He rose to a partnership in the law firm that would eventually become Arter and Hadden.

Taft served in the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] from [[1933]] to [[1934]] and then in [[1940]], he was elected to the [[Shaker Heights, Ohio]], [[board of education]] on which he served until [[1942]], the last year as president. He served in the [[U.S. Army]] during [[World War II]], eventually rising to the rank of Major.

In [[1946]], when U.S. Sen. [[Harold H. Burton]] (R-Ohio) resigned in order to accept an appointment to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]], the vacancy was filled by a [[special election]]. In that election Taft ran and defeated [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Henry P. Webber]]. Taft served out Burton's term, which expired in [[1947]], but Taft did not stand for election to the full term.

In [[1948]], he was elected to a judgeship on the [[Ohio Supreme Court]], defeating Democrat [[Robert M. Sohngen]]. In [[1954]], he was re-elected to the position without opposition. In [[1960]], Taft defeated [[Joseph H. Ellison]] for a third term on the Supreme Court. In 1962, Taft decided to run for Chief Justice of the Court defeating [[Carl V. Weygandt]]. In [[1968]], Taft was elected [[Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court]], defeating Democrat [[John C. Duffy]]. Taft died in office in [[1970]].

Taft was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in [[Cleveland, Ohio]].

{{start box}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[James W. Huffman]]|
 title=[[United States Congressional Delegations from Ohio|United States Senator (Class 1) from Ohio]]|
 after=[[John W. Bricker]]|
 years=
}}
{{succession box|
 before=[[Carl V. Weygandt]]|
 title=[[Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court]]|
 years=1963-1970|
 after=[[C. William O'Neill]]
}}
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[[Category:Ohio Supreme Court justices|Taft, Kingsley]]
[[Category:Members of the Ohio House of Representatives|Taft, Kingsley A.]]
[[Category:United States Army officers|Taft, Kingsley]]
[[Category:Taft family|Taft, Kingsley]]
[[Category:1903 births|Taft, Kingsley A.]]
[[Category:1970 deaths|Taft, Kingsley A.]]
[[Category:United States Senators from Ohio|Taft, Kingsley]]