Oklahoma’s Certifiable Congressman

The election of 1920 brought about great change in the political landscape. Warren G. Harding was ushered into the White House in a landslide and Manuel Herrick, the accidental Republican nominee for Oklahoma’s Eight Congressional District, went to Washington on his coattails. He was known by many title: Congress’ Aerial Daredevil, the Okie Jesus or the Loneliest Man in Washington.Having been determined insane and briefly committed to an asylum, Oklahoma ranks as the first state to have an officially determined insane person in their Congressional delegation.  He served one term in Congress but made a lifetime of poor decisions while in the Capital. Hear the whole story here.