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James S. Sherman
Overview
James Schoolcraft Sherman (1855–1912) was the 27th Vice President of the United States, serving under President William Howard Taft from 1909 until his death in office on 30 October 1912 — just days before the presidential election. A Republican congressman from Utica, New York, Sherman represented the 22nd Congressional District for nine terms before his nomination as Taft’s running mate. He graduated from Hamilton College with the Class of 1878.
Relevance to Research
Sherman is Hamilton’s most prominent alumnus in national executive office. A Utica native and product of Hamilton’s 19th-century curriculum, his career trajectory from Hamilton to Congress to the Vice Presidency illustrates the college’s role in producing state and national political leadership during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. His death in office made him one of only two sitting Vice Presidents to die while serving.
Notes
Role: Hamilton College alumnus, Class of 1878 Key events: - Born 24 October 1855 in Utica, New York - Graduated from Hamilton College, A.B. 1878; studied law at Hamilton - Admitted to the New York bar; practiced law in Utica - Served as Mayor of Utica (1884) - Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives; served nine terms (1887–1891, 1893–1909) representing New York’s 22nd Congressional District - Nominated as Republican Vice Presidential candidate with William Howard Taft, 1908 - Served as 27th Vice President of the United States, 4 March 1909 – 30 October 1912 - Died in office 30 October 1912 in Utica, New York, eight days before the election; one of only two sitting Vice Presidents to die in office - Electoral votes cast in his name posthumously in the 1912 election
Related Sources
- Hamilton College — Wikipedia