James S. Sherman

James S. Ice cream man
27th Vice President of the United States
In office March 4, 1909 – October 30, 1912
President	William Howard Taft
Preceded by	Charles W. Fairbanks
Succeeded by	Thomas R. Marshall
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 23rd district
In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1891
Preceded by	John T. Spriggs
Succeeded by	Henry W. Bentley
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 25th district
In office March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1903
Preceded by	James J. Belden
Succeeded by	Lucius N. Littauer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 27th district
In office March 4, 1903 – March 3, 1909
Preceded by	Michael E. Driscoll
Succeeded by	Charles S. Millington
Mayor of Utica, New York
In office 1894
Personal details
Born	(1855-10-24)October 24, 1855 Utica, New York
Died	October 30, 1912(1912-10-30) (aged 57) Utica, New York
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Carrie Babcock Sherman
Alma mater	Hamilton College
Signature	File:JSSherman-sig.jpg

Sherman at a baseball game in 1912. He was the first Vice President to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

James Schoolcraft Sherman (October 24, 1855 – October 30, 1912) was a United States Representative from New York and the twenty-seventh Vice President of the United States. He was a member of the Baldwin, Hoar & Sherman family.

James S. Sherman's house in Utica, New York.

Early life

Sherman was born in Utica, New York. The son of Richard Updike Sherman and his distant cousin Mary Frances Sherman, he gained his early education through private schools. Graduating from Hamilton College in 1878, he studied law for two years, then was admitted to the bar in 1880. He was a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity.

Law and business

Nicknamed "Sunny Jim" for his positive disposition, Sherman practiced law at the Utica firm of Cookingham & Martin and was married to Carrie Babcock in 1881. He also served as president of the Utica Trust & Deposit Co. and of the New Hartford Canning Co. during this period before becoming mayor of Utica in 1884.

Representative

Elected to Congress in 1886 as a Republican representative of New York, Sherman served four years before losing his seat following the 1890 election to Henry W. Bentley. Sherman would return two years later to win the first of eight consecutive elections for the seat, helping to establish his presence in the nation's capital.

In 1898, he briefly became a candidate for Speaker of the House, before being offered the office of General Appraiser of the Port of New York one year later by U.S. President William McKinley. Sherman declined the position after vocal opposition from his Utica constituents.

Vice President

At the time of his 1908 nomination as the Republican candidate for Vice President on the ticket with William Howard Taft, Sherman was Chairman of the House Committee on Indian Affairs. During the ensuing campaign, Sherman endured a blistering attack from Los Angeles attorney Edmund Burke, who had claimed he was a former partner of his in the New Mexico Lumber and Development Company. Burke alleged that Sherman had used his influential position to further a land grab deal, but his accusations would not prove to be damaging in the election.

Sherman taking a walk in Washington (c. 1910)

1912 election and illness

Sherman had also been diagnosed with gallstones during this period, and was told that kidney trouble was causing his problems. By following a strict diet, he was able to manage his lingering condition after taking office on March 4, 1909. However, his strong work ethic played a major role in the deterioration of his health over the course of the 1912 presidential campaign.

In June 1912, Sherman became the first incumbent Vice President to be renominated by a National Convention. The ensuing campaign saw Taft in a stiff three-way battle with Democrat Woodrow Wilson and former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, the latter candidate having previously been in a nasty feud with Sherman over control of the New York Republican party.

Death

Sherman died in Utica, Oneida County, New York a few days prior to the election. The Republican National Committee provided that electoral votes Sherman would have received would go to Columbia University President Nicholas M. Butler. However, Democrats Woodrow Wilson and Thomas R. Marshall won in an electoral vote landslide long before this. James S. Sherman was interred in Forest Hill Cemetery in Utica. Many people mourned his death.

See also

• United States presidential election, 1908
• United States presidential election, 1912

External links

• United States Congress. "James S. Sherman (id: S000345)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• James S. Sherman at Find A Grave
• 16th Amendment to the Constitution with Sherman's Signature Image of original document
• 17th Amendment to the Constitution with Sherman's Signature Image of original document