Brig. Gen. McSherry graduated from high school in Grand Junction, Colorado, attended Colorado College, and graduated from University of Arizona with a B.S. in Mathematics in 1916 and a B.S. in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering in 1917. He studied French and Political Science at the University of Paris and post graduate work in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brig. Gen. McSherry was a career soldier who enjoyed a successful career with varied assignments and military schools prior to WWII. When the war began, he was stationed in Washington, D.C. with the War Department and was involved with the Federal Security Agency, National Defense Advisory Committee and the War Manpower Commission. It was during this period that he developed a War Department program for training civilian mechanics for war industries. At Brig. Gen. McSherry's instigation, President Roosevelt appointed an Inter-departmental Board in March 1939 to deal with the inter-departmental jealousies and a lack of coordinated policies for vocational training. It is interesting to note that the program he developed was later adopted and used during the war. In Sep 1939, he was appointed liaison officer with the Federal Security Agency, in addition to his other duties. He was a major player in developing the Training Within Industry Program, the National Defense Vocational Training Programs in all states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Alaska, changed the type of training given in N.Y.A. projects and expanded training in the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1942, over ten million workers attended or secured training through one or another of the programs under his general supervision. After arriving in North Africa, he was put in charge of writing policies, directives and instructions for the Allied Military Government for Sicily. He and his personnel entered Sicily with the combat troops in the initial landing and immediately established postal, educational, and railroad systems, agriculture, shipping, banking, labor, courts, and other governmental departments, sometimes while the fighting was still going on. Later, jurisdiction was extended to southern Italy and Naples. He also wrote proposed directives of the combined Chiefs of Staff for six liberated countries (France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway) and two occupied countries (Germany and Austria). Brig. Gen. McSherry and his staff were also responsible for the following: freezing the resources of banks; collecting foreign gold stock which the Nazis had hidden, impounding all German Foreign assets and all foreign currency, re-establishing courts, trade unions, social security systems, initiating food and emergency housing programs, re-establishing police systems, and brought order out of general chaos. On 5 December 1943, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law from Palermo University, and in 1945, the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Arizona. Brig. Gen. McSherry retired from Active Service in December 1946 after more than 39 years of exemplary service to his country. His military education included: the Battery Officers Course, the Advanced Gunnery Course, the Command and General Staff School and the Army War College. His decorations include: Distinguished Service Medal as Deputy Assistant Chief, SHAEF G-5 Div.; Legion of Merit; Bronze Star; War Department General Staff Insignia; Croce al Valore Militare (Italian); Commander, Order of British Empire; Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur (French); Croix de Guerre with Palm Leaf (French); Knight Commander, Orde Van Oranje-Nassau (Netherlands); Commander de l'Ordre Grand Ducal de la Courenne de Chane (Luxembourg); Commander, Order of Leopold II (Belgian); and the Carbineri Medal (Italian). He was married to Elisabeth Jones McSherry and they had four children: James Michael, Millicent, Melissa, and Joseph Wall.