About James S. Sherman
James Schoolcraft Sherman (October 24, 1855 – October 30, 1912) was the 27th vice president of the United States, serving from 1909 until his death in 1912, under President William Howard Taft. A member of the Republican Party, Sherman was previously a United States representative from New York from 1887 to 1891 and 1893 to 1909. He was a member of the interrelated Baldwin, Hoar, and Sherman families, prominent lawyers and politicians of New England and New York. Although not a high-powered administrator, he made a natural congressional committee chairman, and his genial personality eased the workings of the House, so that he was known as 'Sunny Jim'. He was the first vice president to fly in an airplane (1911), and also the first to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a baseball game. Sherman was the seventh and most recent vice president to have died in office. At first, Sherman and Taft found themselves at odds over both tariff policy and the role of the Vice President. The Republicans won by a comfortable margin over the Democratic ticket of William Jennings Bryan and John W. Sherman became active in politics as a Republican and was elected chairman of the party in Oneida County.
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