James S Sherman was the 27th Vice President of the United States. He served under President William Howard Taft from 1909-1912.
Early Life
James S Sherman was born on October 24, 1855, in Utica, New York. His grandfather owned a large farm, while his father published a Democratic newspaper.
Upon graduating from Whitestown Seminary in 1874, Sherman attended Hamilton College. When he completed his undergraduate studies, he went on to earn his law degree. In 1880, Sherman admitted to the New York state bar and joined his brother-in-law’s law practice. In 1881, he married Carrie Babcock, and the couple went on to have three sons.
Political Career
In 1884, Sherman was elected mayor of Utica. Unlike his father, he was a conservative Republican. He went on to serve 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, taking a leadership position as chairman of the House Committee on Indian Affairs. Known for his congenial personality, his colleagues in Congress referred to him as “Sunny Jim.”
Due to its larger membership compared the U.S. Senate, the House regularly used the device of a “committee of the whole” as a means of suspending its rules and progressing more quickly on key legislation, since a smaller quorum was needed for the committee of the whole, and debate was limited. The Speaker of the House turned over leadership of the committee to another member. During his tenure in the House, Sherman often filled this role.
According to Henry Cabot Lodge, Sherman “gradually came to be recognized as the best Chairman of the Committee of the Whole whom that great body had known in many years.” Presiding effectively over the committee of the whole, said Lodge, was “a severe test of a man’s qualities, both moral and mental. He must have strength of character as well as ability, quickness in decision must go hand in hand with knowledge, and firmness must always be accompanied by good temper.”
Vice Presidency
In 1908, Sherman was nominated as the Vice-Presidential candidate alongside William Howard Taft. Sherman was selected to balance the ticket, by being from the East and a conservative. Taft and Sherman were elected by a wide margin.
While Sherman wasn’t Taft’s first choice, the two men formed a close relationship once in the White House. In 1911, Sherman became the first Vice President to fly in a plane. He was also the first to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game.
As President Taft grew more conservative, his relationship with former President Theodore Roosevelt deteriorated, creating a divide in the Republican party. When Roosevelt lost his challenge for the Presidential nomination, Roosevelt formed his own Bull Moose party to run for President.
Meanwhile, Sherman became the first sitting Vice President to be re-nominated since John C. Calhoun in 1828. Diagnosed with Bright’s disease in 1904, Sherman’s health quickly deteriorated during the 1912 campaign. He died less than a week before the election, leaving President Taft with no running mate. Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson and his running mate Thomas R. Marshall went on to win the election.
