Donald Stuart Russell was born on February 22, 1906 in Lafayette Springs, Mississippi. He presided as President of the University of South Carolina from 1952–1957. He was then elected as Governor of South Carolina from November 1962 until his resignation on April 22, 1965. He was immediately appointed as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Olin D. Johnston and served from April 22, 1965 until November 8, 1966. Russell ran as an unsuccessful candidate for nomination in 1966 to complete the term. He then served as a United States District Court Judge for South Carolina until he was appointed as a United States Circuit Judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit in 1971, where he served until his death in Spartanburg, South Carolina on February 22, 1998.
Russell graduated from University of South Carolina in 1925 and also the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1928.He also completed graduate work at the University of Michigan in 1929.
Painted by Michael Del Priore in 1991.
Located in the Reading Room.