Richard Russell, Jr.
| Richard Russell Jr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| President pro tempore of the Senate From: January 3, 1969 - January 21, 1971 | |||
| Predecessor | Carl Hayden | ||
| Successor | Allen J. Ellender | ||
| U.S. Senator from Georgia From: January 12, 1933 - January 21, 1971 | |||
| Predecessor | John S. Cohen | ||
| Successor | David H. Gambrell | ||
| Governor of Georgia From: June 27, 1931 - January 10, 1933 | |||
| Predecessor | Lamartine Griffin Hardman | ||
| Successor | Eugene Talmadge | ||
| Georgia House of Representatives From: 1921 - 1931 | |||
| Predecessor | ? | ||
| Successor | ? | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Democrat | ||
| Spouse(s) | None (lifelong bachelor) | ||
Richard Brevard Russell Jr. (November 2, 1897 - January 21, 1971) was a U.S. senator from Georgia, serving for over thirty years in it until his death.
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
Conservative Coalition
While initially a strong supporter of FDR's policies, Russell later began to split with Roosevelt and became a leader in the Conservative Coalition in 1937.
Warren Commission
After John F. Kennedy was assassinated, succeeding president Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Russell to the Warren Commission as part of the investigation. While most members concluded on the "single bullet theory," Russell, along with John Sherman Cooper, were dissenters of the view, believing the theory was absurd.[1]
Civil rights opposition
Russell, a lifelong opponent of civil rights, has led racist Southern Democrats in opposition to civil rights legislations ever since the 1930s. Democrat filibusters led by Russell included blocking Republican anti-lynching bills and, eventually during the 1960's, trying to halt the 1964 Civil Rights Act before the Senate was able to enact cloture.
Legacy
Russell has the Russell Senate Office Building named after him.[2] Over forty years after it had been named for Russell, liberals such as Chuck Schumer demanded that the building be re-named for RINO John McCain.[3]