Not only did the firm receive company and leadership awards and recognitions by various organizations and institutions in Atlanta, the companys Project Management division set up offices in Birmingham, AL and expanded its headquarters to more than 42,000 square feet in the Castleberry Hill neighborhood of Atlanta. Herman is survived by his wife, Sylvia, daughter, Donata Russell Major, sons H. Jerome (Stephanie) and Michael (Lovette) Russell, stepsons Eric and Kevin Anderson, eight grandchildren --. Real Times Media. But most importantly, they bridged two worlds with a close friendship. Russell & Company. Over the next fifty years, he continued to build businesses, amassing one of the nations and the worlds most profitable minority-owned conglomerates. 1986: Constructs Atlanta Gas Light Headquarters. Funeral arrangements were not immediately known. 1962: Establishes H.J. Here's a few of their responses: The entire community mourns the passing of Herman Russell. He made an indelible mark on the city of Atlanta and the nation and he will be deeply missed.. His legacy will live on in the projects he built, the family he raised, and the people he touched throughout his life., Ernest Greer, chairman of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and vice president and Atlanta managing shareholder at law firm Greenberg Traurig, He was one of the Giants of our time. Required fields are marked *. An interview with the filmmakers can be found on the H. J. Russell & Company We Build: The Podcast here or on other podcast platforms. We know hes at rest., He continued, He was elated and proud of the fact that he was able to share his legacy with others and, most importantly, his grandchildren. This was also the year that Herman founded H. J. Russell Plastering Company in Atlanta, whichwould later become H. J. Russell & Company. He, along with Atlanta University student leaders Julian Bond, Charlayne (Hunter) Gault, Charles Black, Lonnie King, Jr., Johnny Parham, Marian Wright and local businessman Jesse Hill, Jr., Dr. Clinton E. Warner, Gladys Powell, Hilda Wilson and others, Russell founded, in 1960, The Atlanta Inquirer, a member of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) the Black Press of America during the height of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.-led Civil Rights Movement. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The death Saturday of Atlanta business pioneer and philanthrophist Herman J. Russell brought a swell of reaction on social media and other channels. Russell was alreadymillionaire builder before the civil rights movement led by Dr. Kinghijacked American consciousness. Russell partnered with noted white business leaders such as developer John Portman and Aarons founder Charles Loudermilk. When will I get my Georgia tax rebate for 2023? Along with a myriad of other community and corporate boards, Russell, after retiring in 2003 from his company, continued to be an in demand speaker with business classes, as well as for various corporate settings, channeling his business acumen to future business owners and leaders for the growth and economic advancement. He grew up on a farm near Victoria and graduated from Victoria High School. Russell, chairman/CEO of H. J. Russell & Co., was born on December 23, 1930, in Atlanta, one of seven childrenof Maggie and Rogers Russell. Jordan, who gave the eulogy at the funeral, said Russell had given him two conflicting directions on how to handle the tribute. Atlanta-Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman, John Eaves stated, It is with great regret and immense sadness that Ive learned of the passing of an Atlanta icon: Herman J. Russell. The program described his achievements as an entrepreneur, his love of family and of friends. He bought his first parcel of land for $125 at age sixteen, later building a duplex on the property. Today, the Atlanta-based H. J. Russell and Company is a nationally recognized leader in the construction and real estate development industry, as well as the single largest Minority Business Enterprise real estate firm in the United States. Part business generator, innovation lab, and museum, RICE invests in Black entrepreneurs, strengthens businesses, and creates community. Herman Russell helped to make real the legacy of a city too busy to hate.. 1969: Is awarded the contract for the Citizens Trust Bank Building. Herman Russell had a major impact on many of. Four months after he joined H.J. Real Times Media. He built a duplex on the parcel of land he purchased for $125 at age 16 and used his savings to help pay his tuition at Tuskegee University. He bought his first piece of land at 16 years old," Michael B. Russell said about his father. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I have seen H.J. There was no one as cheap as H.J., Egbert Perry, a business protege, said to great laughter and nods from attendees at the Saturday funeral. He used the n-word and asked, Why cant you shine shoes on your front porch? Thats when I was reborn.. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Grand-daughter Sydney Russell recited a poem: When I am Gone overcome with emotion as she read the powerful words. In 1963, Russell became the first black member, and later president, of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Lee May (@LeeMay) November 15, 2014. However, his beginnings were humble. From founding a beverage distributor company and having a majority share in a company that owned a television station in Macon, Ga., to establishing airport concessionaire Concessions International, LLC to being a part of the Omni Group which purchased two major professional sports franchises, diversification was the focus of the decade. He was 83. We are grateful Delta is interested in featuring his story onboard to inspire an even larger audience., Our family felt it was important to document the legacy of our family patriarch in film for generations to enjoy and be inspired by, as we were all of our lives, said Herman J. Russells daughter, Donata Russell Ross, CEO, Concessions International, LLC. Updated Nov 17, 2014, 3:50pm EST. I feel the mist of the River Jordan, and Im ready to cross over, Russell answered. Hermans drive, tenacity and vision carry on throughout the company today. Mr. I got nervous in front of all the white aldermen. 1938: Starts first business shining shoes. Herman said, If you give me 1 percent more of the profit, you can take my name off of it altogether.. Herman J. Russell (1930- ) What started as a $125.00 purchase of a small parcel of land at 15 grew and blossomed over the years into a multi million-dollar company, and with this, Herman Jerome Russell came to epitomize black entrepreneurship by becoming one of the first black millionaires. He was working for a residential developer at the time. Herman J. Russell, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who turned a small plastering firm into one of the most successful African-American-owned real estate development and construction. Herman J. Russell was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on March 15, 2002. Russell had picked up the penny. 1945: At 16, buys land in Summerhill for $125. The documentary is also the inspirational back story on which RCIE is being created to grow Black entrepreneurship. Russell & Company is currently involved with the construction of the $1.3 billion Atlanta Falcons stadium development. Hermans spirit permeated the community. Herman J. Russell, who founded Atlanta-based H. J. Russell & Company in 1952 and Concessions International, LLC, in 1979, is known for helping to build the Atlanta skyline as its seen today as well as for shaping the airport dining experience for travelers throughout the country and the U. S. Virgin Islands. 1994: Constructs Turner Field/Centennial Olympic Stadium. Joseph Lowery. Russell & Co., family and friends such as baseball legend Hank Aaron, and political and civic heavyweights, including U.S. Rep. John Lewis and Martin Luther King III. Civil rights leader the Rev. He saved up enough rental income from that duplex to pay for his college education at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama where he earned his degree in building construction in 1952 and worked as a subcontractor with his brother Roger Russell assisting. All Rights Reserved. I salute you sir for a long life-well done: http://t.co/wEOUdzQj65 But it wasn't until 2015 that the three. And then Michael remembered one his fathers favorite sayings: Bring something more to the table than your appetite.. And dont leave until 6.. 1993: Oversees Birmingham International Airport. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. Atlanta construction executive Herman Russell is a civic leader and philanthropist whose construction company ranks as the fourth largest in the U.S. We put your body to rest, Young said. The Great Depression heavily influenced company founder, Herman J. Russell (1930-2014). [9], "Herman J. Russell built legacy in Atlanta", "International Civil Rights: Walk of Fame Herman J. Russell", "Atlanta business icon Herman J. Russell has died", "Herman Jerome Russel (1930- ), Business Mogul, Community Leader, Philanthropist", "BUILDING ATLANTA by Herman J. Russell , Bob Andelman", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Herman_J._Russell&oldid=1114763061, This page was last edited on 8 October 2022, at 04:13. Joseph Lowery. He and his wife, Otelia, lived in midtown Atlanta. Herman Jerome was put in charge of the companys development arm. He was not just a local businessman, but a visionary and one of the men who built Atlanta as we know it today. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped shape the citys skyline and wielded influence far beyond his hometown. Today, the experience the firm had in building the Olympic stadium has contributed to the building of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium positioned halfway between the companys old and new headquarters location. Russell, testified Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed without a hint of hyperbole or overstatement. When history was being made in Atlanta, chances were Russell was present. Bernice A. Survived by son, Russell (Patricia); grandchildren, Brent (Bethany), Adam (Jessica . However, his beginnings were humble. After returning to Atlanta upon graduation, Russell performed small-scale plastering and repair services until he inherited his fathers business, then known as the Rogers Russell Plastering Company, upon his fathers death in 1957. The film includes interviews with notable people from Atlanta who knew Russell and . John B. Smith, Sr., second vice chairman of NNPA and publisher and CEO of The Atlanta Inquirer, said, It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that I comment on the death of my friend, business associate and brother of the common good, Herman J. Russell. Along with being an inimitable and distinctive business leader and icon, who created H.J. In 1959, the same year as his mother's death, Herman and Otelia Russell welcomed their first child, Donata. There were pictures from early in his career to scenes of his children and grandchildren growing up.
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