George L. Russell, Jr. (1929-2025)
MSA SC 3520-11548
Biography:
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, March 19, 1929. Son of Marie and George L. Russell. Attended Baltimore City public schools; Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, A.B. (Economics), 1950; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D., 1954. Admitted to the Maryland bar, 1954. Married Marie Ann White, 1959; son U.S. District Court judge George L. Russell III. Died in Baltimore City, April 12, 2025.
First African American circuit court judge in Maryland, and first African American Baltimore City Solicitor.
Served in U.S. Army as a lawyer, 1954-1956. Practiced law in Baltimore City, 1956-1966. Associate Judge, Supreme Bench of Baltimore City, 1966-1968. Baltimore City Solicitor, 1968-1974. Candidate for mayor of Baltimore, 1971; lost to William Donald Schaefer. Returned to private practice, becoming a partner at Piper & Marbury and later became associated with the law offices of Peter G. Angelos in Baltimore, practicing in the areas of commercial litigation, white collar crime, products liability and toxic torts.
In 1990 the Bar Association of Baltimore City appointed him chair of the Russell Committee, formed to investigate the drug crisis and underfunding of the Baltimore City justice system. In 1994 he was named by the governor to chair the 16-member Maryland Museum of African American History and Culture Commission, and served as chairman of the board of the Maryland African American Museum Corporation, raising money to build the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. Chair of the museum, 2002. Chaired, Governor's Salary Commission, 1994. Chaired Baltimore's 13-member Judicial Nominating Commission, 1995. Board member, of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Maryland until 1995 and was a member of the Task Force to Review the State's Election Law in that year. He was a member of the board of directors of Constellation Energy Group Inc. until 2001. In 1995 he was honored with the Special Outstanding Achievement Award from the Maryland Bar Foundation, and in 1997 he received the Minority Law Partner Recognition Award from the NAACP. Fellow of the Maryland Bar Foundation and of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Received University of Maryland School of Law Distinguished Graduate Award, 2000.
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