Lee M. Russell
Encyclopedia
Lee Maurice Russell – May 5, 1943, Jackson, Mississippi
) was a Mississippi
politician.
and later attended the University of Mississippi
. During his time as a student, he was the leader in a movement to abolish Greek fraternities
. Russell graduated from the university in 1901 and enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Law
. After completing the course, he was admitted to the bar
and practiced law in Oxford, Mississippi
.
Russell was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
in 1907 and to the Mississippi State Senate
in 1909. In 1912, he successfully passed a bill prohibiting secret and exclusive societies at the public institutions of higher learning. The law stayed on the books for twelve years.
Russell was elected to the office of lieutenant governor
in 1915 and elected governor in 1919. His term was marked by crop failures due to the boll weevil
. Russell also filed an antitrust
suit against several fire insurance companies for their business practices. In 1923, he was sued for seduction and breach of promise
by his former secretary Frances Birkhead. Russell was acquitted and he blamed the lawsuit on the fire insurance industry.
Russell was unable to run for re-election due to the term limits in the Mississippi constitution at that time. He retired to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. There he sold real estate for a period prior to returning to Jackson
to practice law until his death. He is buried at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson.
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
) was a Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
politician.
Biography
Russell was born in Lafayette County, MississippiLafayette County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,744 people, 14,373 households, and 8,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 61 people per square mile . There were 16,587 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
and later attended the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
. During his time as a student, he was the leader in a movement to abolish Greek fraternities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
. Russell graduated from the university in 1901 and enrolled in the University of Mississippi School of Law
University of Mississippi School of Law
The University of Mississippi School of Law, also known as Ole Miss Law, is an ABA-accredited law school located on the campus of the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi. The School of Law opened in 1854 and is the fourth-oldest state-supported law school in the country...
. After completing the course, he was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
and practiced law in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
.
Russell was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives
Mississippi House of Representatives
The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi....
in 1907 and to the Mississippi State Senate
Mississippi State Senate
The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate is composed of 52 Senators representing an equal amount of constituent districts, with 54,704 people per district...
in 1909. In 1912, he successfully passed a bill prohibiting secret and exclusive societies at the public institutions of higher learning. The law stayed on the books for twelve years.
Russell was elected to the office of lieutenant governor
Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi
The Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi is the second-highest ranking executive officer in Mississippi, right below the governor. The office of lieutenant governor was established when Mississippi became a state, abolished for a few decades in the first half of the 19th century, and restored later...
in 1915 and elected governor in 1919. His term was marked by crop failures due to the boll weevil
Boll weevil
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...
. Russell also filed an antitrust
Antitrust
The United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
suit against several fire insurance companies for their business practices. In 1923, he was sued for seduction and breach of promise
Breach of promise
Breach of promise is a former common law tort.From at least medieval times until the early 20th century, a man's promise of engagement to marry a woman was considered, in many jurisdictions, a legally binding contract...
by his former secretary Frances Birkhead. Russell was acquitted and he blamed the lawsuit on the fire insurance industry.
Russell was unable to run for re-election due to the term limits in the Mississippi constitution at that time. He retired to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. There he sold real estate for a period prior to returning to Jackson
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
to practice law until his death. He is buried at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson.
External links
- Lee M. Russell's grave at Find-A-Grave
- Profile at National Governors AssociationNational Governors AssociationThe National Governors Association , founded in 1908 as the National Governors' Conference, is funded primarily by state dues, federal grants and contracts and private contributions. NGA represents the governors of the fifty U.S. states and five U.S. territories The National Governors Association...
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