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The historically black college developed financial problems after the successes of the
American Civil Rights Movement, as some students began to attend other colleges previously closed to them. Accreditation problems in 2012 led college officials to seek a merger with another college, but they were
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He later became the first
African American to be named to the Board of Missions of the Episcopal Church, and served in that capacity from 1923 to 1931. In 1917, Russell was elected as Suffragan Bishop of Arkansas, but declined the honor in order to continue his work at the school. He also declined
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Archdeacon
Russell was awarded an honorary degree from the Virginia Theological Seminary (the first African American thus honored) in 1917. In 1922 he received an honorary doctorate in laws from Monrovia College. He was also named Knight Commander of the Humane Order of African Redemption by the
116:, a former Confederate officer who was educating African Americans. Russell became his protege, and Cooke asked the younger man to preside at his own funeral. (But he outlived Russell, so that duty was performed by Russell's son). Cooke expelled a student who also later became a priest,
154:. He was charged with working among African Americans to plant more Episcopal churches. As a result of his ministry, the number of African American churches in his diocese (the newly formed Diocese of Southern Virginia) had increased from none to 37, with more than 2000 communicants.
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Due to his enthusiasm and aggressive fund-raising, it expanded its enrollment and curriculum. He retired as
Principal and Chaplain in 1929, nine years after his wife's death. The college's trustees elected his son James Alvin Russell, who had also been ordained, to succeed him.
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In
January 1883, Russell and his wife began teaching African Americans in a room at the tiny new church. In 1888, through a legacy of the Rev. Saul of Philadelphia, they bought another building. With that, Russell founded Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School.
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169:, Russell founded an annual farmers' conference. He urged African-American farmers to stay out of debt and to vote. But the white-dominated Virginia legislature passed amendments Constitution on 1902 instituted poll taxes and
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James
Russell was born to Araminta, an enslaved African-American woman on the Hendrick plantation in Mecklenburg County. His enslaved father, Solomon Russell, worked on the Russell plantation across the border in
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Russell's mother had long dreamed of her son becoming a priest and encouraged his education and clerical aspirations. Mrs. Pattie Buford of
Lawrenceville brought Russell's ambition to the attention of Bishop
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Bishop
Whittle ordained Russell a deacon on March 9, 1882, and sent him as a missionary back to Mecklenburg County. He worked in Lawrenceville, initially holding separate services for African Americans at
71:. James began attending a local school whose schoolmaster allowed tuition to be paid in labor and farm products. The schoolmaster and superintendent encouraged him to continue his education.
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The following year, the diocese authorized funds to build a church for his Black parishioners, and to buy a horse to aid in his missionary travels. He was ordained as a priest in 1887.
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After a year, he began teaching near home, and also worked when the college was not in session. As part of his elementary school curriculum, Russell required students to recite the
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sorority), and a board of trustees. His eldest daughter
Araminta served as its registrar (800 students were enrolled the year of his death) until her death in 1937.
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After the Union victory in the
American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, the senior Russell rejoined his family. They began sharecropping on a plantation in
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James Solomon Russell died at the President's house in Lawrenceville on March 28, 1935, after an extended illness. He was buried at Saint Paul's cemetery.
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In December 1882, Russell married Virginia Michigan Morgan of Petersburg. The couple eventually had five sons and three daughters together.
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was created from the relatively new Diocese of Southern Virginia, and Lawrenceville became part of the new diocese.
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A middle school in Lawrenceville, Virginia, is named after the pioneering educator and missionary.
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added James Solomon Russell to its liturgical commemorations on the anniversary of his death. The
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the offer to become Suffragan Bishop of North Carolina. As long anticipated, in 1919, the
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unable to achieve this. St. Paul's College closed in 2013, after 125 years of service.
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His son Rev. J. Alvin Russell continued to run the St. Paul College with his wife
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47:. He declined two elections to become bishop in order to continue directing that
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Russell founded Saint Paul Normal and Industrial School, which later became
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Meanwhile, in 1893, Rev. Russell was named Archdeacon of the newly formed
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African-American Episcopal clergyman and educator in Virginia (1857-1935)
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463:"After 125 Years of Service, St. Paul's College Shutting Down June 30"
425:"The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice"
374:"The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice"
297:"The Church Awakens: African Americans and the Struggle for Justice"
40:, became an Episcopal priest and educator in the postwar period.
93:, and Russell decided to become a member of that denomination.
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For four years, Russell studied and worked closely with Rev.
32:(December 20, 1857 – March 28, 1935), born enslaved in
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extended this honor to all of the Episcopal Church.
51:. It closed in 2013 because of financial problems.
89:daily. A local Episcopalian matron gave him a
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493:. Church Publishing, Inc. December 1, 2019.
76:Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute
555:People from Mecklenburg County, Virginia
136:, the majority white Episcopal Church.
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595:20th-century African-American educators
590:19th-century African-American educators
575:20th-century American Episcopal priests
565:19th-century American Episcopal priests
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246:"Russell, James Solomon (1857–1935)"
207:Archdeacon Russell's autobiography,
74:Russell was admitted in 1874 to the
467:Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
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620:African-American Christian clergy
515:"James S. Russell Middle School"
160:Diocese of Southwestern Virginia
615:Saint Paul's College (Virginia)
610:University and college founders
580:20th-century American educators
570:19th-century American educators
560:Religious leaders from Virginia
185:for distinguished achievement.
585:African-American Episcopalians
25:James Solomon Russell, c. 1910
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62:Warren County, North Carolina
490:Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018
250:www.encyclopediavirginia.org
220:Diocese of Southern Virginia
152:Diocese of Southern Virginia
103:Bishop Payne Divinity School
34:Mecklenburg County, Virginia
600:Episcopalians from Virginia
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49:historically black college
211:was published in 1935.
200:(an incorporator of the
69:Palmer Springs, Virginia
605:Educators from Virginia
399:"James Solomon Russell"
348:"James Solomon Russell"
322:"James Solomon Russell"
271:"James Solomon Russell"
99:Francis McNeece Whittle
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450:Encyclopedia Virginia
429:episcopalarchives.org
378:episcopalarchives.org
301:episcopalarchives.org
181:. In 1929 he won the
165:In 1904, inspired by
91:Book of Common Prayer
55:Early and family life
36:, shortly before the
30:James Solomon Russell
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198:Nellie Pratt Russell
167:Booker T. Washington
118:George Freeman Bragg
107:Petersburg, Virginia
45:Saint Paul's College
209:Adventure in Faith,
114:Giles Buckner Cooke
519:jms.brun.k12.va.us
224:General Convention
80:Hampton University
38:American Civil War
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500:978-1-64065-234-7
202:Alpha Kappa Alpha
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550:1857 births
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539:Categories
233:References
409:March 28,
358:March 28,
332:March 28,
281:March 28,
255:March 2,
179:Liberia
78:(later
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127:Career
526:2021
495:ISBN
475:2021
436:2021
411:2016
385:2021
360:2016
334:2016
308:2021
283:2016
257:2016
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