HERRICK, Myron T., capitalist and diplo mat: b. Huntington, Lorain County, Ohio, 9 Oct. 1854. His ancestors, of the same line as that of Robert Herrick, the English poet, came i to this count from Loughborough, Leicester shire, Englan early in the 17th century. His grandfather, imothy Herrick, one of the pio neers of Lorain County, was a soldier in the War of 1812. At the battle of Sacketts Harbor be was taken prisoner and sent to Canada. When released, he walked to Ohio, and upon locating his land warrant received for services in the war, built a log cabin in the woods and prepared as best he could to receive his family. He then returned to Watertown, N. Y., and brought his family of six children on to Ohio in ox teams. On his mother's side, Mr. Herrick is descended from Jeduthem Cross, who came from England to America and settled in Massa chusetts in the early 17th century. Mr. Her rick's father was Timothy R. Herrick, of Wel lington, Lorain County, Ohio, a farmer of im portance and influence. Myron T. Herrick was educated in a district school, in the high school at Wellington, and later studied at Oberlin Col lege and Ohio Wesleyan University, which lat ter institution conferred upon him the degree of A.M. Mr. Herrick studied law at Cleveland, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar in 1878. On 30 June 1880 he married Caroline M. Parmely, of Dayton, Ohio. He practised law, in which he was successful, but retired in 1886, becoming actively engaged in banking and manufacturing. In 1894 Mr. Herrick was elected president of the Society for Savings in the City of Cleve land, having been its secretary and treasurer since 1886.
Mr. Herrick filled many positions in the councils of the Republican party, and from 1888 devoted a large part of his time to public service. He served as aide-de-camp on the staff of William McKinley when governor of Ohio. Later when Governor McKinley became President, he tendered to Mr. Herrick the position of Secretary of the Treasury in his first Cabinet, which was declined for business reasons. In President McKinley's second term he offered Mr. Herrick the ambassadorship to Italy, which offer was renewed by Pretident Roosevelt, but was declined in both instances on account of his large business responsibilities. Herrick was president of the American Bankers Association in 1901. At the Republican State Convention of 4 June 1903 he was unani mously nominated as Republican candidate for governor and was elected by the largest ma jority in the history of the 113,802 votes, over Tom L. Johnson, his opponent. Mr. Her rick served one term in that office. His record stands among the first as an efficient and suc cessful executive. He was offered the United States Treasury portfolio by President Taft at the beginning of his term, which was declined for business reasons. Later he was offered 'the
ambassadorship to Brazil, which was also de clined. In 1912 he accepted the ambassadorship to France, which he had once before declined, and at the outbreak of the World War in 1914, as American Ambassador, took over the Ger man and Austrian embassies. On 2 Sept. 1914, preceding the battle of the Marne, when the French government removed to Bordeaux, Mr. Herrick requested his government to per mit him to remain in Paris, as, in his opinion, the American interests were such that they could be better represented in Paris. Upon the departure of the diplomatic corps from the British, Turkish and Japanese embassies and the legations of various other countries, Mr. Herrick took over the representation of these interests. Three years later when Lord North cliffe visited America, he said in an address, 'II had the honor of meeting Ambassador Her rick in almost the earliest stages of the war, when between one and two millions of Germans were marching on Paris, and when Paris ,with almost twice the number of inhabitants of Cleve land, was panic stricken and the people were fleeing from that city. It was due to the man from Cleveland that that panic did not extend so far as to cause the whole population to leave and allow the Germans to march into Paris. That feat of Ambassador Herrick is one of the most remarkable achievements of any man during the war." Mr. Herrick formed the American tee which occupied his residence as a head quarters. This committee rendered a great service in extending financial help to Americans and others who had been traveling in Europe at the outbreak of the war and who found them selves suddenly without fundi and in need of advice and help. Mr. Herrick and his wife were largely instrumental in establishing an American ambulance hospital in the Elysee Pasteur at Neuilly, which was equipped and managed by resident Americans in• Paris. It was established in 1914, having a capacity of about 1,600 beds, and performed a very great service. When America entered the war it was turned over to the Red Cross. The.American Relief Clearing House was organized by ,Mr. Herrick and his home became its headquarters upon his leaving France. The Clearing House had also a branch in New York,City and the .admirable service which it has performed is well known to all Americans. Mrs. Herrick remained. in Paris with her husband during the early days of the war, ministering to the needs of the stricken people of France, and as a result of her arduous duties in this connection, contracted the disease which resulted in her death on 15 Sept. 1918.