Lee Maurice Russell (November 16, 1875May 16, 1943) was an American politician from

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

. He was born in Lafayette County, Mississippi, to William Eaton Russell and Louisa Jane (Mackey) Russell, and he later attended the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

. 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 The Mississippi House of Representatives is the lower house of the Mississippi Legislature, the lawmaking body of the U.S. state of Mississippi. According to the state constitution of 1890, it is to comprise no more than 122 members elected fo ...

in 1907, representing Lafayette County from 1908 to 1912, and he was elected to the

Mississippi State Senate The Mississippi Senate is the upper house of the Mississippi Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The Senate, along with the lower Mississippi House of Representatives, convenes at the Mississippi State Capitol ...

in 1911, representing the 32nd district from 1912 to 1916. 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 A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

in 1915 and elected governor in 1919. Crop failures due to the boll weevil marked his term. Russell also filed an

antitrust Competition law is the field of law that promotes or seeks to maintain market competition by regulating anti-competitive conduct by companies. Competition law is implemented through public and private enforcement. It is also known as antitrust l ...

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. Russell was acquitted, and he blamed the lawsuit on the fire insurance industry. Russell could not run for re-election due to the

term limits A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

in the Mississippi constitution. He retired to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. There he sold real estate for a period before returning to Jackson to practice law until his death on May 16, 1943.American Political Leaders 1789–2009
/ref> He is buried at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson.

References

External links

Lee M. Russell's grave
at

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Profile
at National Governors Association website {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Lee M. 1875 births 1943 deaths Democratic Party governors of Mississippi Democratic Party Mississippi state senators Democratic Party members of the Mississippi House of Representatives People from Lafayette County, Mississippi University of Mississippi alumni Methodists from Mississippi American real estate brokers