Myron T. Herrick

Myron Timothy Herrick ( born October 9, 1854 in Huntington, Lorain County, Ohio, † March 31, 1929 in Paris ) was an American politician and from 1904 to 1906 the 42nd Governor of the state of Ohio.

Early years and political rise

After primary school, earned the young Myron Herrick his money by himself taught as a teacher and has written articles for newspapers. With the money thus obtained he financed a law degree. In 1878 he was admitted as a lawyer in Ohio. Then he began to work in his new profession. He was also active in other fields and was very successful there. He was president of the Society for Savings. Soon he was also president of several railroad companies. In 1901 he became president of the Association of American bankers (American Bankers Association). Herrick was also involved in other companies in many industries.

Herrick was a member of the Republican Party. He spent two years in the city council of Cleveland and belonged to the staff of William McKinley in his time as governor of Ohio. Herrick held at both the federal and state-level leadership positions in his party. He also supported McKinley's presidential campaign. In 1903 he was elected with 54.9 percent of the vote to Democrat Tom L. Johnson for governor of his state.

Governor of Ohio

Myron Herrick began his two -year term on 11 January 1904. His lieutenant governor was the future U.S. President Warren G. Harding. At this time the Republican Party was split in two factions, led by Senator Mark Hanna on one side and Senator Joseph B. Foraker on the other side. The governor tried to neutrality. But almost every decision met with one or another group rejection. Then he ran through his stance on the prohibition question nor the ire of parts of the church. Through these quarrels his tenure remained without major policy successes. Due to its lower popularity he was defeated in the elections of 1905 the Democrats John M. Pattison.

Further CV

After the end of his governorship to Herrick devoted first again his many business activities. In 1912 he was appointed by President William Howard Taft as the successor of Robert Bacon to U.S. Ambassador in France. He remained in this position until 1914. In France, he also witnessed the beginning of the First World War in Europe. After his return he applied in 1916 unsuccessfully for a seat in the U.S. Senate; he lost to Democrat Atlee Pomerene. In 1921 he was appointed by President Harding, his former lieutenant governor, succeeding Hugh Campbell Wallace again as ambassador to France. This office he retained until his death in 1929. In 1927 he was among the delegation that greeted Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic crossing in solo flight in Paris. Together with his wife Caroline M. Parmley Herrick had a child.