| Summary: | Construction executive, civic leader and philanthropist Herman Russell was born in Atlanta on December 23, 1930. He learned the construction trade from his father, a plasterer. After his father's death in 1957, Russell took over the company and expanded it into a conglomerate. In 1963, he became the first black member, and later president, of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He also played a leading role in the modern civil rights movement, working very closely with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Russell served as a board member for various civic organizations, he founded the Herman J. Russell Entrepreneurial Scholarship Foundation. He has received numerous awards and recognitions. He and his wife, Otelia, resided in Atlanta and are parents of two sons and a daughter, executives with H. J. Russell & Co. Russell passed away November 15, 2014, at the age of 83.
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