77//33//1133 RRiicchhaarrdRR uusssseellll,JJ rr.- WW iikkiippeeddiiaa,tt hheff rreeeee nnccyyccllooppeeddiiaa Richard Russell, Jr. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Richard Brevard Russsseell, Jr. (November 2, 1897 – January 21, 1971) was an American politician from Georgia. Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. A member of the Democratic Party, he briefly served as speaker of the Georgia house, and as Governor of Georgia (1931–33) before serving in the United States Senate for almost 40 years, from 1933 until his death in 1971. As a Senator, he was a candidate for President of the United States in the 1948 Democratic National Convention, and the 1952 Democratic National Convnvention. Russell was a founder and leader of the conservative coaoalilition that dominated Congress from 1937 to 1963, and at his death was the most senior member of the Senate. He was for decades a leader of Southern opposition to the civil rights movement. PrPresesidident prpro tempore of the UUnited States Senate In office Contents January 3, 1969 – January 21, 1971 Leader Mike Mansfield 1 Early life Carl Hayden 2 2 Governor of Georgigiaa Preceded by 3 Senate career Succeeded by Allen J. Ellender 4 Personal life Chairman of the Senate Committee on 5 Legacy Appropriations 6 References InIn office 7 Further sources January 3, 1969 – January 21, 1971 7.1 Primary sources 7.2 Scholarly secondary sources Leader Mike Mansfield 8 External links Preceded by Carl Hayden Succeeded by Allen Ellender Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Early life Services In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1969 Leader Lyndon B. Johnson Mike Mansfield Preceded by Leverett Saltonstall Succeeded by John C. Stennis In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1953 eenn..wwiikkiippeeddiiaa..oorrgg//wwiikkii//RRiicchhaarrdd__RRuusssseellll,,__JJrr.. 11//77 7/3/13 RichardR ussell,J r.- W ikipedia,t hef reee ncyclopedia Russell was born in Winder, Georgia, the fourth child (and Leader Ernest McFarland first son) of fifteen children of Richard Brevard Russell, Sr., a Preceded by Millard Tydings prominent lawyer and later chief justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. The younger Russell graduated in 1914 from the Succeeded by Leverett Saltonstall Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School in United States Senator Powder Springs, Georgia, and from Gordon Institute in from Georgia Barnesville, Georgia, the following year. Russell then enrolled In office in the University of Georgia School of Law in 1915 and January 12, 1933 – January 21, 1971 earned a Bachelor of Laws (B.L.) degree in 1918.[1] While at UGA, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Literary John S. Cohen Society. Preceded by Succeeded by David H. Gambrell Governor of Georgia 66th Governor of Georgia In office Russell served in the enlisted ranks of the United States June 27, 1931 – January 10, 1933 Naval Reserve Forces in 1918 and, in 1919, set up law Lamartine Griffin Hardman practice with his father in Winder. He was elected to the Preceded by Georgia House of Representatives (1921–31), serving as its Succeeded by Eugene Talmadge speaker (1927–31). His meteoric rise was capped by Personal details election, at age 33, as Governor of Georgia, serving from Born November 2, 1897 1931 to 1933. He was sworn in by his father, who had become supreme court justice of Georgia 9 years before. He Winder, Georgia was a progressive governor who reorganized the Died January 21, 1971 (aged 73) bureaucracy, promoted economic development in the midst Washington D.C. [2] of the Great Depression, and balanced the budget. He Political party Democratic became embroiled in controversy, however, when in 1932 Never married Robert Elliott Burns, serving time on a Georgia chain gang, Spouse(s) escaped to New Jersey and wrote a book entitled I Am a Alma mater University of Georgia School of Fugitive from a Georgia Chain Gang!, condemning the Law Georgia prison system as inhumane. It became a popular Profession Attorney movie, but Russell demanded extradition. New Jersey refused, and Russell was attacked from all quarters. Military service Service/branch United States Navy Senate career Unit Reserves Following the death of U.S. Senator William J. Harris in 1932, Governor Russell defeated Congressman Charles R. Crisp to serve the remainder of Harris' term; he was elected on his own to serve a full term in 1936 and was subsequently re-elected in 1942, 1948, 1954, 1960, and 1966. During his long tenure in the Senate, Russell served as chairman on Committee on Immigration (75th through 79th Congresses), Committee on Manufactures (79th Congress), Committee on Armed Services (82nd and 84th through 90th Congresses), and Committee on Appropriations (91st Congress). As the senior Senator, he became President pro tempore of the Senate during the 91st and 92nd Congresses. Russell at first supported the New Deal and in 1936, he defeated the demagogic Governor Eugene Talmadge by defending the New Deal as good for Georgia. By 1937, however, Russell became a leader of the conservative coalition, and wielded significant influence within the Senate from 1937 to 1964. He proclaimed his faith in the "family farm" and supported most New Deal programs for parity, rural electrification, and farm loans, and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Russell,_Jr. 2/7 7/3/13 RichardR ussell,J r.- W ikipedia,t hef reee ncyclopedia supported promoting agricultural research, providing school lunches and giving surplus commodities to the poor. He was the chief sponsor of the National School Lunch Act of 1946 with the dual goals of providing proper nutrition for all children and of subsidizing agriculture. He ran as a regional candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952, winning widespread newspaper acclaim but few delegates. He was a member of the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. During World War II, he was known for his uncompromising position towards Japan and its civilian casualties. He held that Japan should not be treated with more lenience than Germany, and that the United States should not encourage Japan to sue for peace.[3] Russell was a highly respected senatorial colleague and skilled legislator.[citation needed ] Russell chaired the Senate investigation into the firing of General Douglas MacArthur. Conducted during a political firestorm over the firing, Russell's chairmanship prevented national rancor and layered political motivations surrounding the firing from interfering in a dignified and insightful investigation into the incident. Military historians have printed transcripts of the hearings to instruct on the proper relationship between civilian and military officials in a democracy. Russell on the receiving end of Russell competed in the 1952 Democratic presidential primary, but was "The Treatment" from President shut-out of serious consideration by northern Democratic leaders who saw Lyndon B. Johnson in 1963. his support for segregation as untenable outside of the Jim Crow South. When Lyndon Johnson arrived in the Senate, he sought guidance from knowledgeable senate aide Bobby Baker, who advised that all senators were "equal" but Russell was the most "equal"—meaning the most powerful. Johnson assiduously cultivated Russell through all of their joint Senate years and beyond. Russell's support for first-term senator Lyndon Johnson paved the way for Johnson to become Senate Majority Leader. Russell often dined at Johnson's house during their Senate days. However, their 20-year friendship came to an end during Johnson's presidency, in a fight over the Chief Justice nomination of Johnson's friend and Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas in 1968.[4] While a prime mentor of Johnson, Russell and the then-president Johnson also disagreed over civil rights. Russell, a segregationist, had repeatedly blocked and defeated civil rights legislation via use of the filibuster and had co- authored the Southern Manifesto in opposition to civil rights. He had not supported the States Rights' Democratic Party of Strom Thurmond in 1948, but he opposed civil rights laws as unconstitutional and unwise. (Unlike Theodore Bilbo, "Cotton Ed" Smith and James Eastland, who had reputations as ruthless, tough-talking, heavy- handed race baiters, he never justified hatred or acts of violence to defend segregation. But he strongly defended white supremacy and apparently did not question it or ever apologize for his segregationist views, votes and speeches.) Russell was key, for decades, in blocking meaningful civil rights legislation that might have protected African-Americans from lynching, disenfranchisement, and disparate treatment under the law.[5] After Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Russell (along with more than a dozen other southern Senators, including Herman Talmadge and Russell Long) boycotted the 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City.[6] A prominent supporter of a strong national defense, Russell became in the 1950s the most knowledgeable and powerful congressional leader in this area.[citation needed ] He used his powers as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1951 to 1969 and then as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee as an institutional base to add defense installations and jobs for Georgia. He was dubious about the Vietnam War, privately warning President Johnson repeatedly against deeper involvement. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Russell,_Jr. 3/7 7/3/13 RichardR ussell,J r.- W ikipedia,t hef reee ncyclopedia Personal life Russell died at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. due to complications from emphysema. He is buried in the Russell family cemetery behind the Russell home near Winder. This area was designated as the Russell Homeplace Historic District by the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. His younger brother, Robert Lee Russell, was a lawyer and served as a federal judge, appointed by President Roosevelt and later by President Truman. Brother-in-law Hugh Peterson served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1935 to 1947.