Clarence O. Sherrill

Military photo of Colonel Clarence O. Sherrill

Library of Congress

Quick Facts

Place of Birth:

Newton, North Carolina

Date of Birth:

May 24, 1876

Place of Death:

Cincinnati, OH

Date of Death:

February 6, 1959

Place of Burial:

Arlington, VA

Cemetery Name:

Arlington National Cemetery

Clarence Osborne Sherrill was born in Newton, North Carolina to Miles Osborne Sherrill and Sarah Ramseur Bost Sherrill in 1876. He had three younger siblings (Joseph, Bessie and Edward) and two younger siblings (Russell and Mary). Little is known of his early life.

Clarence Sherrill attended Trinity College (now Duke University) before receiving an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was second in the class of 1901 and received his degree in Civil Engineering. He was appointed into the United States Army Corps of Engineers and attended the Army School of the Line at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas where he graduated with honors in 1906. It was while he was at Fort Leavenworth that he met his wife, Geraldine Caldwell Taylor and they were married in 1905.

Sherrill was an instructor of engineering for a time at various service schools and wrote text books used by the army for almost a decade. When the United States joined World War I, he served in France.

In 1921, he was assigned to Washington, DC where he was Chief Military Aide to President Harding and President Coolidge. He was also director of Public Buildings and Parks. 

Some of the projects he worked on while in Washington included the construction of the Lincoln Memorial, the Grant Memorial west of the U.S. Capitol building and the monument to George Gordon Meade on Pennsylvania Avenue. He was also instrumental in the design of the Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway in addition to administering Rock Creek Park.

Sherrill's policies were unpopular and involved segregating public events, pools and parks in Washington, DC. He segregated the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial, setting aside a 'special enclosure' at the ceremony for non-white visitors. A newspaper article written at the time stated:

“Negroes in the District of Columbia have requested President Harding to remove Col. C. O. Sherrill, aide to the president, because the latter is charged with segregating the races at public gatherings in Washington. The immediate cause of the request was the segregation of negroes at Lincoln memorial ceremonies, the aide having set aside certain seats to be occupied by the colored people. It is also charged that Colonel Sherrill has segregated the negroes in using the public swimming pools in Washington. This row is of particular interest to North Carolinians, as the colonel is a Catawba county product, son of the late Miles O. Sherrill, who was for many years state librarian, and is a distinguished alumnus of Trinity college…This row means another lot of trouble for the president. If he doesn’t remove the officer, the negroes will cause trouble for the administration in next fall’s elections; on the other hand, Colonel Sherrill is a popular man in Washington with leaders of both Democratic and Republican parties, and if he should be removed it would stir up a lot of feeling; his removal would also delay many years any hope the Republicans might have of getting a foothold in the south.” — Walter Ney Keener, Durham Morning Herald (June 10, 1922)

Sherrill was not removed from office.

Sherill held the post as head of the Public Buildings and Grounds office until February 1925, when an act of Congress abolished it and assigned its functions to the new Office of Public Buildings and Public Parks of the National Capital. Sherrill became director of the successor agency. He not only reported to President Harding, but to his successor, President Coolidge.

Colonel Sherrill made several unpopular decisions regarding the management of Rock Creek Park. Though he acknowledged the popularity of automobile use by park users, he supported the Public Buildings and Grounds office announcing a rule against night parking in Rock Creek Park. This sparked outrage due to the number of families who slept in the cooler Rock Creek valley to escape the oppressive heat of the city. Though he advised the superintendent of park police to "use discretion" in administering the order, he intended that enforcement come down on "persons parking at late hours of the night and early hours of the morning for immoral purposes."

Sherrill also made the unpopular decision to segregate park picnic areas. Memos indicate that Sherrill advised that signs distinguishing picnic areas as being "white" or "colored" be put up to manage this policy. This was met with opposition from Congress and the policy was relaxed.

Sherrill was also responsible for depriving Hattie Sewell from renewing her contract to manage the Peirce Mill Tea House. Though she paid her rent on time, and turned the business into a successful one in less than a year, she drew the ire of park neighbor and Peirce descendant E. S. Newman who petitioned Sherrill to remove the contract. Though Newman described the tea house as "a rendezvous for colored people, soon developing into a nuisance" Sherrill initially balked at removing the contracting, citing Sewell's satisfactory business practices and increased revenue.

Sherrill still refused to renew Mrs. Sewell's contract in October of 1921 and attempted to turn it over to the Joint Welfare Service who declined to pick up the contract. Sherrill tried to defend the contract being awarded without competition by stating "

Competition was not deemed advisable in letting this concession because of the fact that it would be impossible to select or obtain in that way the type of proprietors desired. The party who operated the tea house prior to this concession was the high bidder in a competition. A great many complaints were received and a large number of people stopped patronizing the place. In order to overcome the prejudice which had grown up it was thought best to select the proper party who would operate the establishment to the best interest of the public and of the government.
 

Sherrill managed Rock Creek Park until the end of 1925, retiring from the Army in December to become city manager of Cincinnati, Ohio. Sherrill Drive in Rock Creek Park was named for him.