William Howard Taft ( September 15 , 1857 â `` March 8 , 1930 ) was the 27th President of the United States from March 4 , 1909 to March 3 , 1913 . William Howard Taft ( September 15 , 1857 â `` March 8 , 1930 ) was the 27th President of the United States ( 1909-1913 ) and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States ( 1921-1930 ) .