Buren Robinson Sherman was the 12th Governor of Iowa, serving from 1882 to 1886.

Biography

Sherman was born in Phelps

Phelps, New York

Phelps, New York may refer to either:*Phelps , New York, located in Ontario County*Phelps , New York, located within the Town of Phelps...

, Ontario County

Ontario County, New York

As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...

, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 on May 28, 1836.

He studied law

Law

Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...

 after his family moved to Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

 in 1855 and was admitted to the bar

Bar association

A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...

 in 1859. Sherman then practiced law in Vinton, Iowa

Vinton, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,257 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,299 housing units, of which 2,187 were occupied....

 in 1860, but only until 1861, when he signed up with the 13th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment

13th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 13th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 13th Iowa Infantry was organized at Davenport, Iowa and mustered in for three years of Federal service between October 18 and November 2, 1861.The regiment...

 for the Union Army

Union Army

The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...

. He retired as a captain in mid-1863 due to injuries suffered at Shiloh

Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, was a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, fought April 6–7, 1862, in southwestern Tennessee. A Union army under Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant had moved via the Tennessee River deep into Tennessee and...

.

Sherman was elected county judge of Benton County

Benton County, Iowa

-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 26,076 in the county, with a population density of . There were 11,095 housing units, of which 10,302 were occupied.-2000 census:...

 upon his return, resigning from the post in 1866 to accept a position in the office of the clerk of the district court.
From 1874 to 1881 he was the Iowa state auditor.

Sherman was elected governor of Iowa in 1882 and was the first occupant of the governor's office in the Iowa State Capitol

Iowa State Capitol

The Iowa State Capitol is located in Iowa's capital city, Des Moines, and houses the Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives, the Office of the Governor, and the Offices of the Attorney General, Auditor, Treasurer, and Secretary of State...

; however, it was his successor, William Larrabee

William Larrabee (Iowa)

William Larrabee was a Republican politician from Iowa. He served as the 13th Governor of Iowa from 1886 until 1890.-Early life:Larrabee was born in Ledyard, Connecticut, into a family of French Huguenot extraction...

, who first occupied the office for a full term.

In 1885, he was awarded an LL.D. from the University of Iowa

University of Iowa

The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...

. He was also a freemason

Freemasonry

Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...

 who was especially active in Scottish Rite

Scottish Rite

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...

 Masonry and helped found the Des Moines Scottish Rite Consistory.

Sherman died November 11, 1904, and is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Vinton, Iowa.

External links