Before Washington, there was Cincinnati.

The hometown of William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States, formed the man who served under four presidents and eventually became president himself. Taft also helped to form Cincinnati, as had his entire family.

Brian Planitz, native Cincinnatian, former National Park Ranger at William Howard Taft National Historic Site, and now a West sider, has studied Taft’s life for years. His new book, William Howard Taft in Cincinnati reveals the little-known facts of Taft’s early years that not only shaped his life, but our nation.

Presented on March 8, 2027, the 97th anniversary of Taft’s death.