Richard Russell Jr.

Richard Russell Jr.
President pro tempore of the United States Senate
In office January 3, 1969 – January 21, 1971
Preceded by	Carl Hayden
Succeeded by	Allen J. Ellender
Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
In office January 3 , 1969 – January 21, 1971
Leader	Mike Mansfield
Preceded by	Carl Hayden
Succeeded by	Allen Ellender
Chair of the Senate Committee on Armed 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
Leader	Ernest McFarland
Preceded by	Millard Tydings
Succeeded by	Leverett Saltonstall
United States Senator from Georgia
In office January 12, 1933 – January 21, 1971
Preceded by	John S. Cohen
Succeeded by	David H. Gambrell
66th Governor of Georgia
In office June 27, 1931 – January 10, 1933
Preceded by	Lamartine Griffin Hardman
Succeeded by	Eugene Talmadge
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
In office 1921–1931
Personal details
Born	Richard Brevard Russell Jr. (1897-11-02)November 2, 1897 Winder, Georgia, U.S.
Died	January 21, 1971(1971-01-21) (aged 73) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Parents	Richard Russell Sr. Ina Dillard Russell
Relatives	Robert Lee Russell (brother)
Alma mater	Gordon State College University of Georgia
Profession	Attorney
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy
Unit	Reserves
Battles/wars	World War I

Richard Brevard Russell Jr. (November 2, 1897 – January 21, 1971) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 66th Governor of Georgia from 1931 to 1933 before serving in the United States Senate for almost 40 years, from 1933 to 1971. Russell was a founder and leader of the conservative coalition that dominated Congress from 1937 to 1963, and at his death was the most senior member of the Senate.^[1][2] He was for decades a leader of Southern opposition to the civil rights movement.^[3]

Born in Winder, Georgia, Russell established a legal practice in Winder after graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1921 to 1931 before becoming Governor of Georgia. Russell won a special election to succeed Senator William J. Harris and joined the Senate in 1933.^[4] He supported the New Deal^[5] in his Senate career but helped establish the conservative coalition of Southern Democrats. He was the chief sponsor of the National School Lunch Act, which provided free or low-cost school lunches to impoverished students.^[6]

During his long tenure in the Senate, Russell served as chairman of several committees, and was the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services for most of the period between 1951 and 1969. He was a candidate for President of the United States at the 1948 Democratic National Convention and the 1952 Democratic National Convention. He was also a member of the Warren Commission.^[7]

Russell supported racial segregation and co-authored the Southern Manifesto with Strom Thurmond.^[8] Russell and 17 fellow Democratic Senators, along with one Republican, blocked the passage of civil rights legislation via the filibuster. After Russell's protégé, President Lyndon B. Johnson, signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law,^[9] Russell led a Southern boycott of the 1964 Democratic National Convention.^[10] Russell served in the Senate until his death from emphysema in 1971.