Herbert last Ohio governor to have served in National Guard
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio National Guard historian
On Jan. 13, 1947, Thomas J. Herbert was inaugurated as the 56th Governor of Ohio during a simple ceremony in the west portal of the Statehouse. Herbert is the last Ohio governor also to have served in the National Guard. Herbert was born in Cleveland in 1895 and graduated from Adelbert College of Western Reserve University in 1915. Upon the outbreak of World War I, Herbert enlisted in the officers’ training school of the aviation section of the Enlisted Reserve Corps and was commissioned a lieutenant on March 29, 1918, in the Air Service. Sent to France, Herbert was attached to the 56th Squadron, Royal Air Force as a pilot. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, Silver Star Citation and the British Distinguished Flying Cross. His Distinguished Service Cross citation reads, in part:
When with a formation of six machines, Lieutenant Herbert attacked eighteen enemy Fokker biplanes, shooting one down in flames. During the fighting Lieutenant Herbert was shot in the leg and his plane was struck in the petrol tank, necessitating skillful maneuvering to regain his own lines. As he was landing he became unconscious from loss of blood. On 4 August 1918, at Cappy, France, he destroyed an enemy Pfalz scout plane at an altitude of 9,000 feet, thus saving his patrol leader, who was at the mercy of the enemy plane. On 1 August he joined in the attack of the enemy aerodrome at Epinoy, the altitude at time of attack being but 200 feet; he killed two enemy mechanics by machine-gun fire and shot up hangers and billets. The bravery, skill, and determination of this officer were an inspiration to other members of his squadron.
Following the war, Herbert returned to Cleveland to practice law and served as the assistant law director for the City of Cleveland, assistant prosecutor for Cuyahoga County and assistant attorney general for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
In 1927, the Ohio National Guard began to organize the first aviation unit in state history, the 112th Observation Squadron, 37th Division Aviation. Herbert was commissioned as a major on June 20, 1927, and was the first commander of the organization. He was integral in the development of the new unit and at the conclusion of the first year, a new hangar was dedicated at Cleveland Hopkins Airport and four aircraft had been obtained. In 1931, Herbert was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was transferred to the 37th Division headquarters as the division aviation officer, a post he held until 1934.
He was elected Ohio attorney general in 1938 and was reelected to two additional terms, serving until 1945. In 1947, he was elected governor, a post he held until 1949. In his inauguration speech, the new governor described his philosophy:
“During this administration, we shall be guided at all times by the knowledge that the people of Ohio have a passionate desire for freedom of the individual. They want their government strong enough to protect without being strong enough to dominate — a government that administers, but does not dictate; a government that helps them to prosperity by lightening the burden of debt and taxes; a government that lays down the rules of fair play, protects those whose strength and resources are not sufficient to protect themselves, assures that equality of opportunity be available to all, regardless of race, color or creed, and affords every citizen an opportunity to prosper according to his talents, his ability and his diligence, subject only to a like right for his neighbor.”
During his time as governor, he supported legislation appropriating $45 million from state treasury surplus to compensate World War II veterans.
Herbert died on Oct. 26, 1974, in Grove City, Ohio at the age of 79 and is buried at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland. In December 2023, Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio adjutant, approved the memorialization of Army Aviation Support Facility #1 in North Canton, Ohio to honor Herbert.
Maj. Thomas J. Herbert, 37th Division Aviation, in front of a Douglas O-2 airplane at Camp Perry in Port Clinton Ohio in 1927.
From left, Lt. Col. Thomas J. Herbert, Ohio Gov. George White and Brig. Gen. Frank Henderson, Ohio adjutant general, prior to a flight in 1931.
Lt. Col. Thomas J. Herbert, right, with Maj. Gen. Benson Hough, 37th Division commanding general. In addition to serving in the Ohio National Guard, both men served as associate justices of the Ohio Supreme Court. Hough served from 1920 to 1922 and Herbert served from 1957 to 1962.
