James S. Sherman: So Many Firsts…

A portrait of James S. Sherman, the 27th vice president of the United States circa 1913

Affectionately known as “Sunny Jim” by supporters and colleagues alike, James S. Sherman may not have been the most gifted of administrators, but as a politician, he was nothing short of a maestro.

So when he was nominated to be the Republican Party’s Vice Presidential nominee in 1908, it didn’t come as a surprise to many. But whilst his predecessors and successors were dull administrators, Sherman reinvented himself to become a first of firsts so to speak.

He was the first vice president to fly in an airplane and the first to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game. On a more morbid note, he’s also the most recent Vice President to die in office…

Early Life

Congress

Vice-President

Illness & Death

Legacy

What do you think about James S. Sherman? Tell me in the comments!