William Worthington Russell Jr. (December 3, 1858 – March 11, 1944) was an American diplomat who served under five presidents.

Early life

Russell was born on December 3, 1858, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He was a son of Maj.

William Worthington Russell William Worthington Russell (September 20, 1821 – October 31, 1862) was a United States Marine Corps officer who served as the paymaster of the U.S. Marine Corps during the mid-19th century. Early life Russell was born on September 20, 1821. He ...

(1821–1862), once Paymaster of the

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

, and Virginia ( Fletcher) Russell of

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city (United States), independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of Downto ...

. His two sisters were Virginia Russell (wife of John Buchanan Brewer) and Lucy Briscoe Russell. His paternal grandparents were Robert Grier Russell (brother of

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Pennsylvania

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 ...

, both being sons of lawyer and Revolutionary War soldier Alexander Russell) and Susan Hood ( Worthington) Russell. His father was a first cousin of U.S. Representative

Samuel Lyon Russell Samuel Lyon Russell (July 30, 1816 – September 27, 1891) was a Whig member of the United States of America (U.S.) House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Formative years Born in Bedford, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1816, Samuel L. Russell was ...

. Among his paternal uncles were Admiral Alexander Wilson Russell and

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

John Henry Russell Rear Admiral John Henry Russell (4 July 1827 – 1 April 1897) was an officer of the United States Navy during the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War. Biography Russell was born at Frederick, Maryland on 4 July 1827 to Sir James H ...

and his first cousin was Maj.-Gen.

John H. Russell Jr. John Henry Russell Jr. (November 14, 1872 – March 6, 1947) was a major general and 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps. His only child was Brooke Astor, a noted philanthropist, who lived to be 105. Early life Russell was born on November ...

(father of

Brooke Astor Roberta Brooke Astor (née Russell; March 30, 1902 – August 13, 2007) was an American philanthropist, socialite, and writer who was the chairwoman of the Vincent Astor Foundation, established by her third husband, Vincent Astor, son of John Ja ...

). He attended the Rockville Academy in

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

and the

U.S. Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of ...

, graduating in 1881. He later studied engineering and was in the railroad business before entering the diplomatic service.

Career

Russell was connected with several surveys of railroad routes in South America, Mexico and the United States and was an assistant engineer in locating the route of the

Eads Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...

ship-railway across the

Isthmus of Tehuantepec The Isthmus of Tehuantepec () is an isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean. Before the opening of the Panama Canal, it was a major overland transport route known simply as the Te ...

. He also served as senior watch officer of the Brazilian cruiser ''America'', which was delivered at the time of the Melo revolution in 1893.

Diplomatic career

In 1895, he was appointed secretary of the American legation at Caracas in Venezuela, serving until 1904 when he was appointed secretary of the

legation A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, minister. Ambassadors diplomatic rank, out ...

and

chargé d'affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

ad interim }. Name of episode 1 in season 3 of '' Berlin Station''. , - , ''aut cum scuto aut in scuto'', , either with shield or on shield, , Or, "do or die" or "no retreat". A Greek expression («Ἢ τὰν ἢ ἐπὶ τᾶς») that Spartan mothers sa ...

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

(following its separation from Colombia in 1903). On March 17, 1904, Russell was appointed by President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

as the U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Colombia. He presented his credentials on December 9, 1904, and served until he left his post on May 24, 1905, when "he was summoned to Washington as a witness in the investigation of the charges preferred by

Herbert W. Bowen Herbert Wolcott Bowen (29 February 1856 – 29 May 1927) was an American diplomat and poet. He served as ambassador to Venezuela, and consul-general in Spain and Persia. Early life and education Bowen was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1856, and ...

, Minister to Venezuela, against Assistant Secretary of State Loomis." On June 21, 1905, President Roosevelt appointed him U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Venezuela and he was commissioned during a recess of the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

. He was recommissioned on December 11, 1905, after confirmation. Russell was recalled on March 8, 1908. Jacob Sleeper, who was serving as

chargé d'Affaires A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...

, notified the Government of Venezuela that the United States had severed diplomatic relations with Venezuela on June 20, 1908. From August 1908 to January 1909, he was commissioner to the National Ecuadorian Exposition at

Quito Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...

. On March 15, 1909, when diplomatic relations were re-established, Russell presented new credentials and served until he left his post on March 24, 1910. On June 24, 1910, he was appointed by President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...

as the

Minister Resident A resident minister, or resident for short, is a government official required to take up permanent residence in another country. A representative of his government, he officially has diplomatic functions which are often seen as a form of indir ...

Consul General A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

and presented his credentials on November 3, 1910. On September 5, 1911, he was promoted to Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Dominican Republic and presented his credentials the same day. Russell left his post on March 2, 1913, and was succeeded by

James Mark Sullivan James Mark Sullivan (January 6, 1873 – August 15, 1935) was a lawyer and the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Santo Domingo under Woodrow Wilson. He was arrested in Dublin in 1916 for aiding the Irish rebellion. Biograph ...

until President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

reappointed Russell to the post on August 16, 1915. He was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and presented his credentials on October 7, 1915, before being recommissioned on December 17, 1915, after confirmation. Russell left his post on September 12, 1925. On September 28, 1925, he received his final diplomatic appointment from President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

as U.S. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Siam (Thailand). He was commissioned during a recess of the Senate and recommissioned on December 17, 1925, after confirmation. He was officially received on January 9, 1926, and served until his retirement, when he left his post on January 7, 1927. Russell was awarded the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

by the French government in 1907 for handling French interests in Venezuela. He was also honored by the Venezuelan government for his service to the country.

Personal life

On May 24, 1905, Russell was married to Grace Campbell Lidstone, a daughter of James M. Lidstone of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England. Together, they were the parents of three children, William Worthington Russell III (1910–1992), Lidstone Campbell Russell (1915–1964), and Virginia A. Russell. Russell died at 2900

Connecticut Avenue Connecticut Avenue is a major thoroughfare in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., and suburban Montgomery County, Maryland. It is one of the diagonal avenues radiating from the White House, and the segment south of Florida Avenue was one ...

, his home in Washington, D.C., on March 11, 1944. After a funeral at St. Alban's Church, he was interred at

Congressional Cemetery The Congressional Cemetery, officially Washington Parish Burial Ground, is a historic and active cemetery located at 1801 E Street, SE, in Washington, D.C., on the west bank of the Anacostia River. It is the only American "cemetery of national m ...

in Washington. His widow died in 1969.

References

External links

William Worthington Russell (1859–1944)
at the U.S. Department of State
1904, Mar 25 Letter from Oscar Malmros to William Worthington Russell
Theodore Roosevelt Papers.
1904, May 19 Telegram from Francis B. Loomis to William W. Russell
Theodore Roosevelt Papers.
1907, Mar 10 Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to William Worthington Russell
Theodore Roosevelt Papers. {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, William W. 1858 births 1944 deaths United States Naval Academy alumni 20th-century American diplomats United States Foreign Service personnel Ambassadors of the United States to Venezuela Ambassadors of the United States to Colombia Ambassadors of the United States to the Dominican Republic Ambassadors of the United States to Thailand