Russell, Richard (Jr.)

Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. ( born Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. , born November 2, 1897 , Winder , Georgia - d. January 21, 1971 , Washington ) is an American Democratic politician . He was Governor of Georgia and US Senator .

Born into the family of lawyer Richard Russell, who later became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. Russell graduated from the Law School of the University of Georgia in 1918, and in the early 1920s worked with his father at a law firm. Between 1921 and 1931 , he was a member of the House of Representatives of Georgia, since 1927 he was its chairman. From 1931 to 1933 he worked as governor of his native state. In this position he managed to restore order in the state budget at the height of the Great Depression . In 1933, he joined the Congress as a senator from Georgia; he held this position until his death. In 1952, he unsuccessfully tried to become a Democratic candidate in the presidential election .

Russell was a close friend of President Lyndon Johnson , however, did not agree with him on some issues. He was cautious in his judgments about the Vietnam War and the black rights movement . In 1956, he was one of the 19 senators in the southern states who signed the Southern Manifesto, a document against racial integration in government agencies. During his long career in the Senate, Russell has been a member of several committees. He was also a member of the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy from 1963 to 1964 .

Russell died on January 21, 1971 , was buried in the family cemetery in Weinder. Shortly after his death, the US Navy announced that the boat with the SSN-687 identifier ( Sturgeon class ) would be named after Russell.