William W. Russell
William W. Russell | |
---|---|
Herbert W. Bowen | |
Succeeded by | John W. Garrett |
U.S. Minister to Colombia | |
In office December 9, 1904 – May 24, 1905 | |
President | Theodore Roosevelt |
Preceded by | Arthur M. Beaupre |
Succeeded by | John Barrett |
Personal details | |
Born | William Worthington Russell Jr. December 3, 1858 Washington County, D.C. |
Died | March 11, 1944 Washington, D.C. | (aged 85)
Spouse |
Grace Campbell Lidstone
(m. 1905) |
Relations | U.S. Naval Academy |
Awards | Legion of Honour |
William Worthington Russell Jr. (December 3, 1858 – March 11, 1944) was an American diplomat who served under five presidents.
Early life
Russell was born on December 3, 1858, in Washington, D.C. He was a son of Maj. William Worthington Russell (1821–1862), once Paymaster of the Marine Corps, and Virginia (née Fletcher) Russell of Alexandria, Virginia.[1] His two sisters were Virginia Russell (wife of John Buchanan Brewer)[2] and Lucy Briscoe Russell.[3]
His paternal grandparents were Robert Grier Russell (brother of
He attended the Rockville Academy in
Career
Russell was connected with several surveys of railroad routes in South America, Mexico and the United States and was an assistant engineer in locating the route of the Eads ship-railway across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. He also served as senior watch officer of the Brazilian cruiser America, which was delivered at the time of the Melo revolution in 1893.[1][6]
Diplomatic career
In 1895, he was appointed secretary of the
On June 21, 1905, President Roosevelt appointed him
On June 24, 1910, he was appointed by President
On September 28, 1925, he received his final diplomatic appointment from President
Russell was awarded the Legion of Honour by the French government in 1907 for handling French interests in Venezuela. He was also honored by the Venezuelan government for his service to the country.[10]
Personal life
On May 24, 1905, Russell was married to Grace Campbell Lidstone, a daughter of James M. Lidstone of London, England.[1] Together, they were the parents of three children, William Worthington Russell III (1910–1992), Lidstone Campbell Russell (1915–1964), and Virginia A. Russell.[10]
Russell died at 2900 Connecticut Avenue, his home in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 1944.[10] After a funeral at St. Alban's Church, he was interred at Congressional Cemetery in Washington. His widow died in 1969.
References
- ^ a b c d e f The National Cyclopædia of American Biography: Being the History of the United States as Illustrated in the Lives of the Founders, Builders, and Defenders of the Republic, and of the Men and Women who are Doing the Work and Moulding the Thought of the Present Time. J. T. White. 1916. p. 58. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ Who's who in the Nation's Capital. Consolidated Publishing Company. 1921. p. 4. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "Miss Lucy B. Russell To Be Buried Tomorrow". Evening Star. 16 September 1943. p. 12. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Noma (1949). Western Gateway to the National Capital (Rockville, Maryland). Stewart Printing Company. pp. 118–120. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ Tyler, Lyon Gardiner (1915). Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography, Under the Editorial Supervision of Lyon Gardiner Tyler. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 1034. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ISBN 978-980-01-0551-1. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "Colombian Diplomats Leave Caracas". The New York Times. 12 August 1901. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ a b c d "William Worthington Russell - People - Department History". history.state.gov. Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute United States Department of State. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ "WARSHIP TO FETCH RUSSELL.; Minister to Colombia Will Testify In the Bowen-Loomis Case". The New York Times. 28 May 1905. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
- ^ a b c "W. W. Russell Dies; Retired Diplomat". Evening Star. 13 March 1944. p. 8. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
External links
- William Worthington Russell (1859–1944) at the U.S. Department of State
- 1904, Mar 25 Letter from Oscar Malmros to William Worthington Russell Theodore Roosevelt Papers.
- 1904, May 19 Telegram from Francis B. Loomis to William W. Russell Theodore Roosevelt Papers.
- 1907, Mar 10 Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Worthington Russell Theodore Roosevelt Papers.