John Russell was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician who was appointed

Ohio Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Ohio is an elected statewide official in the State of Ohio. The Secretary of state is responsible for overseeing elections in the state; registering business entities (corporations, etc.) and granting them the author ...

from 1868-1869. John Russell was from

Champaign County, Ohio Champaign County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 38,714. Its county seat is Urbana. The county takes its name from the French word for "open level country". Champaign County comprises the ...

. He was chief clerk in the office of Ohio Secretary of State William Henry Smith. Smith resigned the office January 14, 1868. John Russell was appointed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford Birchard Hayes (; October 4, 1822 – January 17, 1893) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 19th president of the United States from 1877 to 1881, after serving in the U.S. House of Representatives and as governor ...

to replace him. Smith 1898 : 244 Later that year, at the State Republican Convention, Russell came in fourth of four candidates for the nomination on the first ballot, and withdrew.

Biography

John Russell was born September 22, 1827 in

Concord Township, Champaign County, Ohio Concord Township is one of the twelve townships of Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The 2010 census reported 1,408 people living in the township. Geography Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships: * Ha ...

to John and Mary Russell, farmers who were originally from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. He taught school and saved his money to enroll in

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

in 1849, from which he graduated. He returned home to marry Margaret M. Russell, (no relation). Champaign County : 686 In 1854, Russell was elected Clerk of Courts in his county. He served three terms for a total of nine years. He was then appointed to

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

's staff, and then appointed by

. After his term expired, Russell returned to

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

and worked in the office of the Collector of Internal Revenue. Russell was nominated and elected to the

Ohio State Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

in the fall of 1869, but was struck down by stroke and died December 16, 1869, before he could take his seat. Governor Hayes spoke at his funeral in Urbana. He was buried at Oak Dale Cemetery in Urbana. Russell joined the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

at a young age.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, John 1869 deaths 1827 births Ohio Wesleyan University alumni Secretaries of State of Ohio Ohio Republicans People from Champaign County, Ohio 19th-century American politicians People from Urbana, Ohio