Difference between revisions of "Richard Russell, Jr."
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|preceded=Lamartine Griffin Hardman | |preceded=Lamartine Griffin Hardman | ||
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| − | |succeeded=Eugene Talmadge | + | |succeeded=[[Eugene Talmadge]] |
}} | }} | ||
{{Officeholder/misc | {{Officeholder/misc | ||
|office=Member of the [[Georgia]] House of Representatives | |office=Member of the [[Georgia]] House of Representatives | ||
| − | |terms= | + | |terms=1921–1931 |
|preceded=? | |preceded=? | ||
|former=y | |former=y | ||
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==Early life and education== | ==Early life and education== | ||
| − | Russell was born the fourth child to Ina Dillard and Richard Brevard Russell, Sr. in Winder, Georgia on November 2, 1897. His father later served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, while his mother was a teacher. He graduated from the Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1914. He entered the [[University of Georgia]] in 1915 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law's degree in 1918. | + | Russell was born the fourth child to Ina Dillard and [[Richard Russell, Sr.|Richard Brevard Russell, Sr.]] in Winder, Georgia on November 2, 1897. His father later served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, while his mother was a teacher. He graduated from the Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1914. He entered the [[University of Georgia]] in 1915 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law's degree in 1918. |
He served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War I]] as it neared its end, and started a law practice with his father after being discharged from the military. | He served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War I]] as it neared its end, and started a law practice with his father after being discharged from the military. | ||
| − | ==State legislature== | + | ==Political career== |
| + | ===State legislature=== | ||
Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1920 at age 23, Russell was a strong advocate of public schooling and the improvisation of highways. | Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1920 at age 23, Russell was a strong advocate of public schooling and the improvisation of highways. | ||
| − | ==Governor of Georgia== | + | ===Governor of Georgia=== |
A [[fiscal conservative]], Russell's tenure as the governor of Georgia was marked with the re-organization of the state governments, the reduction of state expenditures, and a balanced budget. Accomplishing all of it in less than two years, he cut no salaries aside from his own, and would move on to be elected into the U.S. Senate. | A [[fiscal conservative]], Russell's tenure as the governor of Georgia was marked with the re-organization of the state governments, the reduction of state expenditures, and a balanced budget. Accomplishing all of it in less than two years, he cut no salaries aside from his own, and would move on to be elected into the U.S. Senate. | ||
| − | ==Senate career== | + | ===Senate career=== |
| − | ===Conservative Coalition=== | + | [[File:Russell and George.png|thumb|right|250px|Russell (left) with [[Walter F. George]] (right) in the late 1930s.]] |
| − | While initially a strong supporter of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s policies and an advocate of the [[New Deal]], Russell later began to split with Roosevelt and became a leader in the [[Conservative Coalition]] in 1937. However, he was mostly not a "[[conservative Democrat]]" despite what modern-day [[liberals]] may insinuate, as his opposition to some of Roosevelt's policies were part of bipartisan criticisms on an economic standpoint;<ref>Williamson, Kevin (August 28, 2019). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/08/senator-richard-russell-history-of-racist-progressives/ Was Senator Russell a ‘Conservative’ Democrat?]. ''National Review''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> he was furthermore considered a "[[progressive]]" like many racists of his time. | + | ====Conservative Coalition==== |
| + | While initially a strong supporter of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]'s policies and an advocate of the [[New Deal]], Russell later began to split with Roosevelt and became a leader in the [[Conservative Coalition]] in 1937. However, he was mostly not a "[[conservative Democrat]]" despite what modern-day [[liberals]] may insinuate, as his opposition to some of Roosevelt's policies were part of bipartisan criticisms on an economic standpoint;<ref name="Was Senator Russell a ‘Conservative’ Democrat?">Williamson, Kevin (August 28, 2019). [https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/08/senator-richard-russell-history-of-racist-progressives/ Was Senator Russell a ‘Conservative’ Democrat?]. ''National Review''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> he was furthermore considered a "[[progressive]]" like many racists of his time. | ||
| − | ===Warren Commission=== | + | Russell faced a challenge in 1936 from incumbent [[Democrat]] governor [[Eugene Talmadge]], who ran on a campaign opposing the New Deal. Talmadge was ultimately unsuccessful and lost by a landslide in the primary election<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=377214 GA US Senate - D Primary - Sep 09, 1936]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved February 26, 2021.</ref> as racist white voters in the election cycle backed Russell, Franklin Roosevelt, and [[Eurith D. Rivers]].<ref name="Was Senator Russell a ‘Conservative’ Democrat?"/> |
| + | |||
| + | ====Warren Commission==== | ||
After [[John F. Kennedy]] was assassinated, succeeding president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] appointed Russell to the [[Warren Commission]], a body established to investigate he president's death. While most members concluded on the "single bullet theory," Russell, along with [[John Sherman Cooper]], a [[Moderate Republican]] from [[Kentucky]], were dissenters of the view, believing the theory was absurd.<ref>[http://22november1963.org.uk/richard-russell-warren-report Richard Russell and the Warren Report]</ref> | After [[John F. Kennedy]] was assassinated, succeeding president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] appointed Russell to the [[Warren Commission]], a body established to investigate he president's death. While most members concluded on the "single bullet theory," Russell, along with [[John Sherman Cooper]], a [[Moderate Republican]] from [[Kentucky]], were dissenters of the view, believing the theory was absurd.<ref>[http://22november1963.org.uk/richard-russell-warren-report Richard Russell and the Warren Report]</ref> | ||
| − | ===Civil rights opposition=== | + | ====Civil rights opposition==== |
| − | Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, had led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislation ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican | + | [[File:Southern Democrat filibuster of anti-lynching legislation.png|thumb|left|280px|Segregationist senators [[Tom Connally]], [[Walter F. George]], Richard Russell, Jr., and [[Claude Pepper]] filibustering the [[Anti-Lynching Bill of 1938]]; at the time the picture was taken, the blockade had already persisted for twenty days.]] |
| + | {{anti-lynching sb}} | ||
| + | Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, had led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislation ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican [[anti-lynching bill]]s during the presidency of [[FDR]], where he utilized a mastery of Senate procedural matters to block a 1935 anti-lynching bill for six days, effectively killing it.<ref>Little, Becky (January 31, 2019). [https://www.history.com/news/fdr-eleanor-roosevelt-anti-lynching-bill Why FDR Didn’t Support Eleanor Roosevelt’s Anti-Lynching Campaign]. ''History.com''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> During the proceedings for the 1935 bill, Russell said that he was "willing to go as far and make as great a sacrifice to preserve and insure white supremacy in the social, economic, and political life of our state as any man who lives within her borders."<ref>Barber, Benjamin (March 24, 2021). [https://www.facingsouth.org/2021/03/confronting-anti-civil-rights-filibuster Confronting the anti-civil rights filibuster]. ''Facing South''. Retrieved June 10, 2023.</ref> Three decades during the 1960s, he tried to halt the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]] before the Senate was able to enact cloture. | ||
| − | An advocate and signatory of the [[Southern Manifesto]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150926013722/http://sti.clemson.edu/component/content/article/192-general-info/790-1956-qsouthern-manifestoq 1956 "Southern Manifesto"]. ''Clemson Strom Thurmond Institute''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Sen. Russell in 1957 successfully helped water down the [[1957 Civil Rights Act]] legislation along with then-[[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who removed the stringent protections from the original Herbert Brownell text in Title III and transforming it into a far weaker version of what it originally had been.<ref>DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). [https://kennedysandking.com/reviews/the-kennedys-and-civil-rights-how-the-msm-continues-to-distort-history-part-2 The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2]. ''Kennedys and King''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Johnson had previously hatched a deal with Russell (as well as [[Strom Thurmond]], who broke it) that had the important sections of the bill be removed, he wouldn't filibuster it when it came up on the Senate for a roll call vote. It should be furthermore noted that Russell had been a mentor to Johnson.<ref>[https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/lbj-and-richard-russell-on-vietnam LBJ and Richard Russell on Vietnam]. ''Miller Center''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> | + | An advocate and signatory of the [[Southern Manifesto]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150926013722/http://sti.clemson.edu/component/content/article/192-general-info/790-1956-qsouthern-manifestoq 1956 "Southern Manifesto"]. ''Clemson Strom Thurmond Institute''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Sen. Russell in 1957 successfully helped water down the [[1957 Civil Rights Act]] legislation along with then-[[Senate Majority Leader]] [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], who removed the stringent protections from the original [[Herbert Brownell]] text in Title III and transforming it into a far weaker version of what it originally had been.<ref>DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). [https://kennedysandking.com/reviews/the-kennedys-and-civil-rights-how-the-msm-continues-to-distort-history-part-2 The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2]. ''Kennedys and King''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> Johnson had previously hatched a deal with Russell (as well as [[Strom Thurmond]], who broke it) that had the important sections of the bill be removed, he wouldn't filibuster it when it came up on the Senate for a roll call vote. It should be furthermore noted that Russell had been a mentor to Johnson.<ref>[https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/educational-resources/lbj-and-richard-russell-on-vietnam LBJ and Richard Russell on Vietnam]. ''Miller Center''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> |
Despite having been a [[white supremacist]] and fierce opponent of equal rights for blacks, which he never repudiated, his niece Sally Russell insisted that the senator had maintained decent relationships with blacks who worked for him,<ref name="The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece">Hohmann, James (August 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/08/28/daily-202-dick-russell-was-a-racist-but-he-was-much-more-than-that-says-niece/5b84a7d91b326b3f31919dfb/ The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece]. ''Washington Post''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> adding on that she thought he "had a very deep courteous attitude, which probably came from being raised in the South." | Despite having been a [[white supremacist]] and fierce opponent of equal rights for blacks, which he never repudiated, his niece Sally Russell insisted that the senator had maintained decent relationships with blacks who worked for him,<ref name="The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece">Hohmann, James (August 28, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2018/08/28/daily-202-dick-russell-was-a-racist-but-he-was-much-more-than-that-says-niece/5b84a7d91b326b3f31919dfb/ The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece]. ''Washington Post''. Retrieved January 4, 2021.</ref> adding on that she thought he "had a very deep courteous attitude, which probably came from being raised in the South." | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
| − | Russell has the Russell Senate Office Building named after him.<ref>[https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-buildings/russell-senate-office-building Russell Senate Office Building]</ref> Over forty years after it had been named for Russell, liberals such as [[Chuck Schumer]] demanded that the building be renamed for [[RINO]] [[John McCain]].<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/28/richard-russell-senate-building/ FLASHBACK: Who Was Richard Russell, And Why Does Chuck Schumer Want A Fellow Democrat’s Name Removed From A Building?]</ref> It should be noted that barely any controversy arose out of naming the building during the time, with the lone opposition in the Senate then coming from Philip Hart (D–MI).<ref name="The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece"/> | + | Russell has the Russell Senate Office Building named after him.<ref>[https://www.aoc.gov/capitol-buildings/russell-senate-office-building Russell Senate Office Building]</ref> Over forty years after it had been named for Russell, liberals such as [[Chuck Schumer]] demanded that the building be renamed for [[RINO]] [[John McCain]].<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2018/08/28/richard-russell-senate-building/ FLASHBACK: Who Was Richard Russell, And Why Does Chuck Schumer Want A Fellow Democrat’s Name Removed From A Building?]</ref> It should be noted that barely any controversy arose out of naming the building during the time, with the lone opposition in the Senate then coming from [[Philip Hart]] (D–MI).<ref name="The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece"/> |
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[U.S. "Party-switch" myth]] | ||
*[[Hale Boggs]], liberal Democrat congressman from [[Louisiana]] who was also a member of the [[Warren Commission]] | *[[Hale Boggs]], liberal Democrat congressman from [[Louisiana]] who was also a member of the [[Warren Commission]] | ||
*[[J. William Fulbright]], a segregationist senator from [[Arkansas]] | *[[J. William Fulbright]], a segregationist senator from [[Arkansas]] | ||
| Line 92: | Line 99: | ||
[[Category:Liberalism]] | [[Category:Liberalism]] | ||
[[Category:Progressivism]] | [[Category:Progressivism]] | ||
| + | [[Category:New Deal]] | ||
[[Category:Broke with FDR]] | [[Category:Broke with FDR]] | ||
{{Democrat establishment}} | {{Democrat establishment}} | ||
[[Category:Racism]] | [[Category:Racism]] | ||
| − | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Segregationists]] |
[[Category:Fiscal Conservatives]] | [[Category:Fiscal Conservatives]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Democrat Establishment]] | ||
| + | [[Category:Moderate Democrats]] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:57, June 10, 2023
| Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former President pro tempore of the United States Senate From: January 3, 1969 – January 21, 1971 | |||
| Predecessor | Carl Hayden | ||
| Successor | Allen J. Ellender | ||
| Former U.S. Senator from Georgia From: January 12, 1933 – January 21, 1971 | |||
| Predecessor | John S. Cohen | ||
| Successor | David H. Gambrell | ||
| Former Governor of Georgia From: June 27, 1931 – January 10, 1933 | |||
| Predecessor | Lamartine Griffin Hardman | ||
| Successor | Eugene Talmadge | ||
| Former Member of the Georgia House of Representatives From: 1921–1931 | |||
| Predecessor | ? | ||
| Successor | ? | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Democrat | ||
| Spouse(s) | None (lifelong bachelor) | ||
| Military Service | |||
| Allegiance | United States | ||
| Service/branch | United States Navy | ||
| Unit | Reserves | ||
| Battles/wars | World War I | ||
Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. (November 2, 1897 – January 21, 1971) was a United States Senator from Georgia who served for almost four decades in the position until his death. A career politician, he was the governor of the state for two years previously, and a state representative prior to that.
Contents
Early life and education
Russell was born the fourth child to Ina Dillard and Richard Brevard Russell, Sr. in Winder, Georgia on November 2, 1897. His father later served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, while his mother was a teacher. He graduated from the Seventh District Agricultural and Mechanical School in 1914. He entered the University of Georgia in 1915 and graduated with a Bachelor of Law's degree in 1918.
He served in the United States Navy during World War I as it neared its end, and started a law practice with his father after being discharged from the military.
Political career
State legislature
Elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1920 at age 23, Russell was a strong advocate of public schooling and the improvisation of highways.
Governor of Georgia
A fiscal conservative, Russell's tenure as the governor of Georgia was marked with the re-organization of the state governments, the reduction of state expenditures, and a balanced budget. Accomplishing all of it in less than two years, he cut no salaries aside from his own, and would move on to be elected into the U.S. Senate.
Senate career
Russell (left) with Walter F. George (right) in the late 1930s.
Conservative Coalition
While initially a strong supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt's policies and an advocate of the New Deal, Russell later began to split with Roosevelt and became a leader in the Conservative Coalition in 1937. However, he was mostly not a "conservative Democrat" despite what modern-day liberals may insinuate, as his opposition to some of Roosevelt's policies were part of bipartisan criticisms on an economic standpoint;[1] he was furthermore considered a "progressive" like many racists of his time.
Russell faced a challenge in 1936 from incumbent Democrat governor Eugene Talmadge, who ran on a campaign opposing the New Deal. Talmadge was ultimately unsuccessful and lost by a landslide in the primary election[2] as racist white voters in the election cycle backed Russell, Franklin Roosevelt, and Eurith D. Rivers.[1]
Warren Commission
After John F. Kennedy was assassinated, succeeding president Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Russell to the Warren Commission, a body established to investigate he president's death. While most members concluded on the "single bullet theory," Russell, along with John Sherman Cooper, a Moderate Republican from Kentucky, were dissenters of the view, believing the theory was absurd.[3]
Civil rights opposition
Segregationist senators Tom Connally, Walter F. George, Richard Russell, Jr., and Claude Pepper filibustering the Anti-Lynching Bill of 1938; at the time the picture was taken, the blockade had already persisted for twenty days.
|
Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, had led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislation ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican anti-lynching bills during the presidency of FDR, where he utilized a mastery of Senate procedural matters to block a 1935 anti-lynching bill for six days, effectively killing it.[4] During the proceedings for the 1935 bill, Russell said that he was "willing to go as far and make as great a sacrifice to preserve and insure white supremacy in the social, economic, and political life of our state as any man who lives within her borders."[5] Three decades during the 1960s, he tried to halt the 1964 Civil Rights Act before the Senate was able to enact cloture.
An advocate and signatory of the Southern Manifesto,[6] Sen. Russell in 1957 successfully helped water down the 1957 Civil Rights Act legislation along with then-Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, who removed the stringent protections from the original Herbert Brownell text in Title III and transforming it into a far weaker version of what it originally had been.[7] Johnson had previously hatched a deal with Russell (as well as Strom Thurmond, who broke it) that had the important sections of the bill be removed, he wouldn't filibuster it when it came up on the Senate for a roll call vote. It should be furthermore noted that Russell had been a mentor to Johnson.[8]
Despite having been a white supremacist and fierce opponent of equal rights for blacks, which he never repudiated, his niece Sally Russell insisted that the senator had maintained decent relationships with blacks who worked for him,[9] adding on that she thought he "had a very deep courteous attitude, which probably came from being raised in the South."
Legacy
Russell has the Russell Senate Office Building named after him.[10] Over forty years after it had been named for Russell, liberals such as Chuck Schumer demanded that the building be renamed for RINO John McCain.[11] It should be noted that barely any controversy arose out of naming the building during the time, with the lone opposition in the Senate then coming from Philip Hart (D–MI).[9]
See also
- U.S. "Party-switch" myth
- Hale Boggs, liberal Democrat congressman from Louisiana who was also a member of the Warren Commission
- J. William Fulbright, a segregationist senator from Arkansas
- Carl Vinson, segregationist congressman from Georgia's 6th district
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Williamson, Kevin (August 28, 2019). Was Senator Russell a ‘Conservative’ Democrat?. National Review. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ GA US Senate - D Primary - Sep 09, 1936. Our Campaigns. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
- ↑ Richard Russell and the Warren Report
- ↑ Little, Becky (January 31, 2019). Why FDR Didn’t Support Eleanor Roosevelt’s Anti-Lynching Campaign. History.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ Barber, Benjamin (March 24, 2021). Confronting the anti-civil rights filibuster. Facing South. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
- ↑ 1956 "Southern Manifesto". Clemson Strom Thurmond Institute. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ DiEugenio, James (October 7, 2018). The Kennedys and Civil Rights: How the MSM Continues to Distort History, Part 2. Kennedys and King. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ LBJ and Richard Russell on Vietnam. Miller Center. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Hohmann, James (August 28, 2016). The Daily 202: ‘Dick Russell was a racist. But he was much more than that,’ says niece. Washington Post. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
- ↑ Russell Senate Office Building
- ↑ FLASHBACK: Who Was Richard Russell, And Why Does Chuck Schumer Want A Fellow Democrat’s Name Removed From A Building?
External links
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