Lee M. Russell
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Lee Maurice Russell | |
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40th Governor of Mississippi | |
In office January 18, 1920 – January 18, 1924 |
|
Lieutenant | Homer H. Casteel |
Preceded by | Theodore G. Bilbo |
Succeeded by | Henry L. Whitfield |
12th Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi | |
In office January 18, 1916 – January 18, 1920 |
|
Governor | Theodore G. Bilbo |
Preceded by | Theodore G. Bilbo |
Succeeded by | Homer H. Casteel |
Personal details | |
Born | Lafayette County, Mississippi |
November 16, 1875
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Jackson, Mississippi |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Ethel May Day |
Profession | Lawyer |
Religion | Methodist |
Lee Maurice Russell (November 16, 1875 in Lafayette County, Mississippi) – May 5, 1943 in Jackson, Mississippi) was a Mississippi politician.
He was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi 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.[1] 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.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi 1916–1920 |
Succeeded by Homer H. Casteel |
Preceded by | Governor of Mississippi 1920–1924 |
Succeeded by Henry L. Whitfield |
- Use mdy dates from October 2011
- 1875 births
- 1943 deaths
- Governors of Mississippi
- Mississippi State Senators
- Members of the Mississippi House of Representatives
- People from Lafayette County, Mississippi
- University of Mississippi alumni
- American Methodists
- Mississippi Democrats
- Democratic Party state governors of the United States