John H. Sherburne

John H. Sherburne
1926 black and white head and shoulders photo of brigadier general John H. Sherburne in dress uniform
From the 1926 edition of The National Cyclopedia of American Biography
Born(1877-01-29)January 29, 1877
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedJuly 25, 1959(1959-07-25) (aged 82)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Buried
ServiceUnited States Army
Massachusetts National Guard
Organized Reserve Corps
Years of service1896–1948
RankBrigadier General
Service number0156904[1]
UnitU.S. Army Field Artillery Branch
CommandsBattery A, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia
1st Battalion, 1st Massachusetts Field Artillery Regiment
1st Massachusetts Field Artillery Regiment
101st Field Artillery Regiment
167th Field Artillery Brigade
51st Field Artillery Brigade
1st Massachusetts Field Artillery Brigade
169th Field Artillery Brigade
Adjutant General of Massachusetts
WarsPancho Villa Expedition
World War I
World War II
AwardsSilver Star
Purple Heart
Legion of Honor (Commander) (France)
Order of the Black Star (Commander) (France)
Alma materHarvard College (A.B., 1899)
Harvard Law School (LL.B., 1901)
Spouse(s)
Mary Patterson Harris
(m. 1901⁠–⁠1945)
Children4
Other workAttorney
Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 2nd Norfolk District
In office
1912–1917
Preceded byJoseph Walker/Norman H. White[2]
Succeeded byGeorge S. Baldwin[3]

John H. Sherburne (January 29, 1877 – July 25, 1959) was an attorney, politician, and military officer from Boston. A graduate of Harvard College (1899) and Harvard Law School (1901), he practiced as the senior partner of a prominent Boston firm. A Republican, he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1911 to 1917. A military veteran of more than 50 years, Sherburne served during the Pancho Villa Expedition, World War I, and World War II and attained the rank of brigadier general. He commanded several Field Artillery units during the First World War and was the Adjutant General of Massachusetts during the second. Sherburne was a recipient of numerous military awards, including the Silver Star, Purple Heart, French Legion of Honor (Commander), and French Order of the Black Star (Commander).

A native of Boston, Sherburne graduated from Harvard College in 1899 and Harvard Law School in 1901. Sherburne practiced law in Boston throughout his career, and became the senior partner of a well-known law firm. Active in politics as a Republican, he served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1911 to 1917. In 1896, he joined a Massachusetts Militia battery as a private, and he served for 10 years before obtaining his commission. Sherburne went on to command batteries, battalions, and regiments as he advanced through the ranks, including service on the Texas-Mexico border during the Pancho Villa Expedition.

During World War I, Sherburne was promoted to brigadier general and commanded first the 167th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the 92nd Division, then the 51st Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the 26th Division. After the war, Sherburne commanded the 169th Field Artillery Brigade, a unit of the Organized Reserve Corps' 94th Division. During World War II, Sherburne served as Adjutant General of Massachusetts. After the war, he was an inactive member of the Organized Reserve Corps until retiring in 1948.

In retirement, Sherburne resided in Brookline. He died in Boston on July 25, 1959. Sherburne was buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge.

  1. ^ Department of the Army (1958). U.S. Army Register. Vol. II. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 468 – via Google Books.
  2. ^ Who's Who in State Politics. Boston: Practical Politics. 1911.
  3. ^ "Annual Register of the Executive and Legislative Departments of the Government of Massachusetts, 1918" (PDF), Journal of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts – via State Library of Massachusetts