Samuel Lyon Russell (July 30, 1816 – September 27, 1891) was a
Whig member of the United States of America (U.S.)
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
from
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
Formative years
Born in
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough and spa town in and the county seat of Bedford County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is located west of Harrisburg, the state capital, and east of Pittsburgh. Bedford's population was 2,861 at the 2020 census.
His ...
on July 30, 1816, Samuel L. Russell was a son of
James McPherson Russell
James McPherson Russell (November 10, 1786 – November 14, 1870) was a Whig member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.
Biography
James M. Russell (father of Samuel Lyon Russell) was born in York, Pennsylvania. He moved wit ...
). He attended the common schools and Bedford Academy before graduating from
Washington College
Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...
in
Washington, Pennsylvania
Washington is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Pennsylvania. A part of the Greater Pittsburgh area in the southwestern part of the state, the city is home to Washington & Jefferson College and Pony League baseball. The populat ...
, in 1834.
He then studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1837, and opened his legal practice in Bedford.
Legal and political career
An attorney with private practice experience, Russell subsequently served as prosecuting attorney for
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 47,577. The county seat is Bedford.
History
In 1750 Robert MacRay, a Scots-Irish immigrant, opened the first trading post in Raystown (w ...
during the 1840s.
He was then elected as a Whig to the
33rd United States Congress
The 33rd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1853, ...
, but was not a candidate for renomination.
After resuming the practice of law in Bedford, he became 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 ...
upon the organization of that party in 1856. A member of the State constitutional convention in 1873, he was also a member of the town council and the school board.
Death and interment
Russell died in Bedford on September 27, 1891, and was interred in the Bedford Cemetery.
Sources
The Political Graveyard
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Samuel Lyon
1816 births
1891 deaths
People from Bedford, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Republicans
Washington & Jefferson College alumni
Pennsylvania lawyers
Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
19th-century American legislators
19th-century American lawyers