Charles H. Sherrill (ambassador)

Gen. Charles Hitchcock Sherrill (April 13, 1867, Washington, D.C. - June 25, 1936, Paris, France) was American politician, diplomat and sport officer.

Son of New York lobbist and state politician Charles H. Sherrill and Sarah Fulton (Wynkoop) Sherrill, Sherrill studied Yale University, called to the New York State Bar and became a New York City based lawyer.

During World War I he served as a Brigadier General and adjutant general with the New York National Guard. He was appointed U.S. Minister to Argentina from 1909 to 1910, serving an important role in securing the contracts for two Rivadavia-class battleships during the South American dreadnought race, and United States Ambassador to Turkey from 1932 to 1933.

Sherrill died in Paris, France in 1936.

Shortly after retiring from public office Sherrill proclaimed his admiration for Europe's strong men and predicted the coming end of parliamentary form of government, which he dubbed "inept" and referred to as "so-called democracy." In a long letter to the editors of The New York Times he singled out Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy, for praise and spoke of the "amazing betterment" of Italian life accomplished by the fascists. He wrote of Adolf Hitler, the newly installed leader of Germany, that "[w]hether one admires [him] or not, at least he is a leader who leads." Soon enough, Sherrill wrote, "[p]eople the world over [...] will follow courageous leaders."

In 1935, during the preparations for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Sherrill met twice with Hitler and was, to quote a modern historian "mesmerized by the force of Hitler’s personality and charisma". In his one-hour talk with Hitler Sherrill insisted that at least one token Jew be included in the German team for the Olympic Winter and one for the Olympic Summer Games. Hitler refused and when threatened by Sherrill with an American boycott he promised purely German Olympic Games. Sherrill sent the information on to IOC-President Baillet-Latour who did not insist on Jewish participation on the German teams. After the Nuremberg Racial Laws only Half-Jews (no more than two of the four grandparents being racially Jewish) were still permitted to represent Germany. With Theodor Lewald as President of the Organizing Committee for the Summer Games, Rudi Ball (hockey, Winter Games) and Helene Mayer (Fencing, Summer Games) three Half Jews calmed world public opinion.

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