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Richard B. Russell, Sr. Papers
Descriptive Summary | |
| Title: Richard B. Russell, Sr. Papers | |
| Creator: Russell, Richard B. (Richard Brevard), 1861-1938. | |
| Inclusive Dates: 1872-1938 | |
| Language(s): English | |
| Extent: 36 box(es) (17 linear feet) | |
| Collection Number: RBRL002RBRSR | |
| Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies | |
| Abstract: The collection consists of the diary and personal and political papers of Richard B. Russell, Sr. from 1872 to 1938. The personal papers include correspondence relating to Russell"s involvement on the Board of Trustees at the University of Georgia and as a member of the first Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, family related correspondence, and a few speeches made by Russell. The political series (1888-1938) contains mostly correspondence pertaining to various campaigns for public and judicial offices, including his 1911 gubernatorial bid. The business/finance records include bank statements, bills and receipts, and miscellaneous items. The legal/judicial series contains material relating to Russell"s law practice in Winder, Georgia and his many years as a noted jurist. | |
Collection Description
Biographical Note
Richard B. Russell, Sr. was born near Marietta, Georgia on April 27, 1861. He received his B.A., Ph.d. (1879) and L.L.B. (1880) from the University of Georgia. His first marriage was on May 13, 1883 to Marie Louise Tyler, who died in 1886. Russell re-married Blandina (Ina) Dillard on June 24, 1891, with whom he had thirteen children.
Russell's career as a lawyer, legislator, businessman, and judge extended over fifty-eight years. Beginning his law practice in Athens in 1880, Russell was elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County in 1882. During his three terms in the Georgia General Assembly he gave strong support to higher education and backed the establishment of the Georgia Institute of Technology and a women's college, Georgia Normal and Industrial College for Women in Milledgeville. He was later named to the board of directors of that institution. Russell also was a member of the University of Georgia's Board of Trustees from 1887 to 1889 and 1919 to 1933. He was chairman of the board from 1923 to 1931. He was also appointed to the first Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, organized on January 1, 1932, but he only served until July 1, 1933.
At twenty-one, Russell was the youngest member of the House of Representatives when he was elected in 1883. In 1886 and 1887, he served as chairman of the Rules Committee in the House. From 1885 to 1894, he was a member of the Athens Board of Education, and in 1897, he served on Winder's school board. From 1903 to 1907, he held the same office in Russell, a new village at the edge of Winder which Russell chartered in 1902. In 1888, Russell was elected solicitor-general of the Western circuit of the superior courts of Georgia . After serving eight years, he resigned in 1896 to return to practicing law in Winder. On October 31, 1898 he was elected by the General Assembly to a four-year term as judge of the Superior Court of the Western circuit.
Meanwhile, Russell was active in business and publishing. In 1886 he assisted in organizing Athens Street Railway Company, and the following year, he helped to establish the Athens Savings Bank. From 1890 to 1893, he edited Athens Daily Ledger, and in 1894, he participated in setting up the North Georgia Telephone Company.
In 1904, Russell made an unsuccessful bid for the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. Two years later, he ran against Hoke Smith for governor. Despite a vigorous campaign, he lost the race. But, in November 1906, he was elected judge on the newly created Court of Appeals, where he served until 1916, the last three years as chief judge. In 1911, he made another unsuccessful bid for governor and in 1916, he lost in a race for Congress.
In 1916, he resigned from the Court of Appeals and returned to Winder to his law practice. In 1922 he ran for chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court and won. He was less successful in 1926, when he was defeated in the race for the United States Senate by Walter F. George. Russell continued to serve as chief justice on the Georgia Supreme Court until his death on December 3, 1938 . He is interred in the family cemetery in Russell , Georgia . [Kenneth Coleman and Charles Gurr, ed Dictionary of Georgia Biography. Athens, GA : The University of Georgia Press, 1983]
Scope and Content
Richard B. Russell, Sr. Papers consist of his diary, personal papers, political papers, business records, and legal records dating from 1872 to 1938. The personal papers include correspondence relating to Russell's involvement on the Board of Trustees at the University of Georgia and his membership on the first Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in addition to family related correspondence and several speeches Russell gave. The political papers primarily contain correspondence pertaining to various campaigns for public and judicial offices, including his 1906 and 1911 gubernatorial bids and his 1926 race for U.S. Senate. The business and finance records include bank statements, bills and receipts, and miscellaneous items. The legal and judicial records contain material relating to Russell"s law practice in Winder, Georgia and his many years as a noted jurist. Some personal and family correspondence may be of interest as well. The collection also contains clothing (frock coat), artifacts, and ephemera.
Organization and Arrangement
The papers are grouped broadly into four series by subject: I. Business/Finance, II. Legal/Judicial, III. Personal, and IV. Political.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Personal family correspondence post-1920 is restricted. This excludes correspondence with son Richard B. Russell, Jr. and wife Ina Dillard Russell.
Preferred Citation
Richard B. Russell, Sr. Papers, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
Processing Information note
Clippings have been copied onto bond paper for protection of content. Photographs associated with this collection are included in the Richard B. Russell, Jr. Collection Subgroup D. Winder Papers.
User Restrictions
Library acts as "fair use" reproduction agent.
Copyright Information
Before material from collections at the Richard B. Russell Library may be quoted in print, or otherwise reproduced, in whole or in part, in any publication, permission must be obtained from (1) the owner of the physical property, and (2) the holder of the copyright. It is the particular responsibility of the researcher to obtain both sets of permission. Persons wishing to quote from materials in the Russell Library collection should consult the Director. Reproduction of any item must contain a complete citation to the original.
Finding Aid Publication
Finding aid prepared on: 2008.
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