Introduction

Biography

Russell was the son of Mar­tin and Ma­ran­da Con­well. He mar­ried twice, to Jen­nie P. Hay­den and Sa­rah Fran­ces San­born.

He ma­tri­cu­lated at Yale Col­lege in 1860, but in 1862 he joined the Un­ion Ar­my af­ter the out­break of the Am­eri­can ci­vil war. He was com­mis­sioned a cap­tain and com­mand­ed Com­pa­ny F, 46th Mas­sa­chu­setts Vo­lun­teer In­fan­try Re­giment, which saw action in North Ca­ro­li­na.

After the war, he was at va­ri­ous times a Bap­tist min­is­ter, or­at­or, phi­lan­thro­pist, law­yer, and writ­er.

He is prob­ab­ly best re­mem­bered as the foun­der and first pre­si­dent of Tem­ple Uni­ver­si­ty in Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia, and for his lec­ture Acres of Dia­monds.

Works

• Our Hymns, with Har­ry Jones, Da­vid Wood & Ro­bert B. Lid­dell (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: John J. Hood, 1903)