Following graduation from Protection High School in 1936, Herd attended Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas for two years lettering in football, track and debate.
According to his obituary, "In all of these elected positions, he worked tirelessly in support of public education and the protection of individuals and their liberties from undue influence from the wealthy and powerful."
In March 1979, Governor John Carlin appointed Herd to the Kansas Supreme Court to replace retiring Justice Perry L. Owsley.
Upon retiring from the Kansas Supreme Court, Justice Herd became the first Distinguished Jurist in Residence at Washburn University School of Law, teaching constitutional history in that position until 2002, when he retired to his home in Coldwater.
His honors included Who's Who in America, Who's Who in American Law, Who's Who in American Bench and Bar; Fellow in the American and Kansas Bar Foundations; Induction into Washburn's Sagamore Society in 1980, Distinguished Service Award by the Kansas Bar Association in 1991,[3] a Distinguished Service Award from the Washburn Law School Association in 1995, and special recognition from Kansas high school teachers for his constant effort in helping students understand the constitution.