Richard B. Russell Gallery

State legislator and Georgia governor who became a powerful United States Senator, and ran for President in 1952.

 

His name may have been Richard, but almost everybody knew him as "Dick" Russell. Left: Signature of the United States Senator	As Georgia Governor in 1932, Richard B. Russell worked to ensure the election of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The job was not difficult since Roosevelt was popular throughout the state, visiting Warm Springs on a number of occasions. That's the governor in the lower left hand corner, looking at his remarks.
Russell was extremely popular in the South, due in part to his pro-segregation stance (he was also a strong supporter of many things Southerners felt important, like agriculture and a strong military). In this photo he is preparing to address a Florida crowd, having been introduced by the governor (right)
	In 1952 Russell announced his candidacy for United State President. In 1948 the "Dixiecrats" had bolted from the fold, unhappy with the direction the Democrats were headed. They selected Strom Thurmond at a separate convention in Birmingham, Alabama. Russell's run was considered to be an attempt to bring the South back into the Democrats fold, making the party appeal to the entire United States.
Senator Russell's failed run for the president had a cascading effect on the Democratic Party, and the Nation. Lyndon Baines Johnson, a protege of the Georgia Senator, realized that Russell's failure to denounce his pro-segration stance seriously impacted his candidacy. for president. As a result Johnson advocated Civil Rights for all Americans and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first such legislation in over 100 years. He ran for president in 1960. Here Johnson and Russell are having a discussion in the Oval Office.
	In 1995 a statue of Richard B. Russell was placed in the Russell Senate Office Building Rotunda. The dedication took place on January 24, 1996.

Biography of Senator Richard B. "Dick" Russell
Richard B. Russell timeline

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