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Portrait of Russell in judicial robes. |
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Russell was appointed U.S.
District Judge for the Western District of South Carolina by
President Lyndon Johnson in 1967, to fill the vacancy created by
the death of Russell's former law partner, Charles Cecil Wyche. Russell had campaigned for Johnson during the 1964 election and
attended Johnson’s inauguration, though their opinions on the Voting
Rights Bill differed significantly. He possessed a brilliant
mind and had a temperament well suited to the bench and quickly
gained the respect of all who appeared before him.
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Russell is greeted by President Jimmy Carter. |
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In 1971, President Richard Nixon
assigned Russell to the Appellate Court bench. Russell and his wife
Virginia continued to reside in Spartanburg, though in his capacity
as Appellate Judge, Russell traveled to Richmond, Virginia one week
a month for nine months of the year.
Known for
his thorough knowledge of the law, Russell served until his death in
February 1998. He never took senior status or lightened his case
load.
In a tribute, Senator Hollings, his
onetime political rival and successor in the U.S. Senate,
remarked: “His dedication to improving the lives of everyday
citizens has been an inspiration to me and one that I will never
forget.” [The State, 2/24/98] South Caroliniana Library
director Herb Hartsook interviewed Judge
Russell in 1992 and recalls, “I was fascinated that at that time
in his life I bored him when I asked him to recall his active and
successful past. He lived in the present, and for the future.
He grew animated only when we began to talk about the issues he was
currently facing, and even more excited in commenting on issues he thought might come before him.”
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Russell was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 1987. |
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Donald S.
Russell, Jr. described his father in this way, "Donald Russell was a
statesman who loved South Carolina with his heart and soul and loved
his family with a like devotion.... In all things he was a man of
compassion who maintained, until his death, his independence of mind
and his vigor of body and spirit." |
