The Russell family is an American family from Georgia that has held prominent positions both in the United States government and the Georgia government. The family was a wealthy land-owning family until the end of the American Civil War, when they lost a large amount of their assets, like many others in the southern plantation class. The family later entered politics and rebuilt their family's prominence through holding political office.
Notable Members
Richard B. Russell Sr. (1861–1938), Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court (1922-1936), Chief Justice of the Georgia Court of Appeals (1907-1916)
Richard B. Russell Jr. (1897-1971), U.S. Senator (1933-1971), Governor of Georgia (1931-1933), Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives (1929-1931)
Robert L. Russell (1900–1955), Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals (1949-1955), Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Ernest Vandiver (1918-2005), R. B. Russell Sr. son-in-law, Governor of Georgia (1959-1963), Lt. Governor of Georgia (1955-1959)
Hugh Peterson (1898–1961), R. B. Russell Sr. son-in-law, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1935-1947)
Walter B. Russell Jr. (1929-2016), R. B. Russell Sr. grandson, Member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1971-1976), U.S. Army Officer (1951-1967)