Martin Luther King, Jr. Russell has served also as a board member for civic organizations like the Allen Temple; Butler Street YMCA; Central Atlanta Progress; Tuskegee University; the NAACP Atlanta chapter; Citizens Trust Bank; Midtown Improvement District and the Georgia State University Advisory Board. The world is immeasurably better because of Herman J. Russell, said Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell As early as the age of 8, Herman J. Russell was inspired to build and own real estate, and to be his own employer. 1978: Wins Black Enterprise Magazine Annual Achievement Award. However, his beginnings were humble. The documentary originally aired in February 2020 on ATL PBA. Russell Construction Co. 1963: Becomes first African-American member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. WHEREAS, Mr. Herman J. Russell was the founder and former chief executive officer of H. J. Russell and Company and a nationally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist amassing one of the nation's most profitable minority-owned business empires, turning a small plaster company into a construction and real estate conglomerate; and WHEREAS, Mr . Herman Russell helped to make real the legacy of a city too busy to hate.. One person who initially underestimated Russell was Robert Holder, a fellow builder. He was 83. The Summerhill native owned several businesses throughout his career, starting at age 16 when he purchased a dilapidated home for $125. We will celebrate his life and learn from his example. The firm has landed several key projects, and the patriarch decided to semi-retire. However, before doing so, H. J. developed the ambitious,mixed-use $300 million development in Castleberry Hill. I have seen H.J. Russell served as the first African American member of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He also was a key member of the Civil Rights movement and broke down barriers for minority entrepreneurs. Russell retired from H.J. He gave us just enough to keep us hungry but without starving us, said Jerome, who said he followed in his fathers footsteps when he donated his kidney to his brother Michael. Visit the Atlanta Civic Circle, a nonprofit journalism and civic engagement site, which works on community-wide issues and solutions. Where are todays Muhammad Ali-like athletes? During this period Russell owned several construction and real estate companies, among them H. J. Russell and Company, H. J. Russell Construction Company, H. J. Russell Plastering Company, Paradise Management Inc., DDR International, and Southeast Land Development Company. Atlanta construction executive Herman Russell is a civic leader and philanthropist whose construction company ranks as the fourth largest in the U.S. From being the first African-American member of what was then called the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce to being an inaugural member of the board of directors of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change, Inc. (The King Center). He bought his first parcel of land for $125 at age sixteen, later building a duplex on the property. He is one of the best men our city has ever produced, said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. There was no stutter in Herman Russells soul.. Herman J. Russell nurtured his children, H. Jerome, Donata, and Michael, to carry on his vision: stay focused, be committed, continue to develop expertise, and remain on the cutting edge with the best technology and human talent to meet the changing needs of both business and society. The death Saturday of Atlanta business pioneer and philanthrophist Herman J. Russell brought a swell of reaction on social media and other channels. The documentary is also the inspirational back story on which RCIE is being created to grow Black entrepreneurship. Former staff writer Maria Saporta also contributed. There was a campaign for class president and vice president, and Herman Russell was talking at an outdoor assembly. He didnt just build buildings. Russell loved sharing his inspirational life story with others and frequently regaled listeners with account of how he overcame racism, poverty, and a debilitating speech impediment to become one of the most successful African American entrepreneurs, and unsung heroes of the civil rights movement. Today, the variousorganizations thatareoperated and controlled by the Russell family include Concessions International, Russell Center for Innovation& Entrepreneurship, Russell Family Enterprises, LLC, and Russell New Urban Development, LLC. Russell, chairman/CEO of H. J. Russell & Co., was born on December 23, 1930, in Atlanta, one of seven childrenof Maggie and Rogers Russell. Since 2008, she has written a weekly column and news stories for theAtlanta Business Chronicle. This was the decade that began with a grand announcement that Atlanta would be the site of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. My world was designed to succeed, Holder said. Mr. Russell will be sorely missed by many, but he leaves behind an exceptional legacy of community concern and corporate social responsibility that will be continued through the outstanding work of his children.. They came from all walks of life, with sections of the behemoth church set aside for employees of H.J. Russell asked him how much he was making, and Khalil said $60,000 and up to $75,000 a year with a bonus. An interview with the filmmakers can be found on the H. J. Russell & Company We Build: The Podcast here or on other podcast platforms. He bought his first parcel of land for $125 at age sixteen, later building a duplex on the property. And he was just a sophomore in high school a mere infant in the business world when he exemplified the level of business acumen that would turn him into a superstar in adulthood. ATLANTA - As the founder and former CEO of HJ Russell and Company, Herman J. Russell built one of the United States' leading black owned construction, real estate and concessions empires, before his death in 2014. In every phase of Atlanta development from Hartsfield to the present, he was a major and dominant influence. I remember watching my father on the side of the bed on his knees and pray, Donata Major said. Throughout the decades of enormous success, Mr. Russell continued to give back to the community that nurtured his business pursuits. Through working with his father and watching how he ran his plastering business, he felt the urgency and necessity to create jobs during the difficult economic times, and that is when his entrepreneurial spirit was born, which lasted throughout his life until his passing in 2014. Once, when he was working for the elder Russell, he had finished his work and was in the parking lot getting ready to leave. But most importantly, they bridged two worlds with a close friendship. Russell is also survived by his wife, Sylvia, two stepsons, and eight grandchildren. Russell & Co. built much of Atlantas skyline often through joint ventures from the Georgia-Pacific headquarters to the Georgia Dome. It caused a lot of people to underestimate him. He was 83. Returning to Atlanta after college, he worked . Numerous local leaders expressed their condolences and spoke about his legacy today. Martin Luther King is more alive in our lives today than he was 45 years ago.. With this responsibility, Herman gave me two conflicting pieces of advice, Jordan said. Herman Russell had a major impact on many of. 1930: Born in Atlanta on Dec. 23, 1930. Office: (954) 525-1489 The company has annual sales of more than $150 million and employs 700. Russell & Company CEO Michael Russell said in a statement. Courtney English (@CourtneyEnglish) November 15, 2014, #ATL is forever indebted to #HJRussell-he helped transform our skyline & worked tirelessly 2 make our city better - he will truly be missed. Sources: H.J. Russell. Before attending David T. Howard High School, Russell worked for his father who was a plasterer. Two boysJerome and Michaelfollowed. The Russell empire also includes Concessions International, a hospitality company that operates the famed Paschals Restaurant in Castleberry Hill and restaurants in airports across the country, including Atlantas Hartsfield-Jackson International. He taught us that the greatest love we could show our children was to love our spouses.. He was a great citizen, a great businessman and a brother. It also was Russell who wrote checks to pay the bail of students arrested after sit-ins at lunch counters in the South during the civil rights movement, said Jordan. 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 bought his first piece of land at 16 years old," Michael B. Russell said about his father. ATLANTA - As the founder and former CEO of HJ Russell and Company, Herman J. Russell built one of the United States' leading black owned construction, real estate and concessions empires,. Russell & Company, a local construction firm that helped build many of the city's most important structures, in 1952. Russell & Company's portfolio is massive. Perry then asked for a job description. The Great Depression heavily influenced company founder, Herman J. Russell (1930-2014). Photo credit: Courtesy Herman J. Russell family. Several of his grandchildren participated in the service. The brilliant construction and real estate magnate passed away at age 83 much like he lived quietly, and leaving behind an enviable legacy and vast business portfolio that spellbinds his contemporaries and legions of admirers alike. 1987: Constructs Wachovia Bank operations center in North Carolina. Their other films include Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.: A Different Road, The Wise Heart: The Story of Emory University, One Law for All: The Story of the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, and The Story of Hope and Will: Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta. For more about Living Stories, visit livingstories.tv. His role model was his father who owned his own plastering business. The nearly hour-long film premieres on ATL PBA on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. and re-airs at 9 p.m. on Feb. 23. Russell was only 12 years old when he founded his shoeshine business. He served with dedication and distinction as a former King Center board member, and he was a beloved personal friend and supporter of both my father, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and my mother, Mrs. Coretta Scott King. But he invested most of his time and energy in his hometown. He inspired many with words of wisdom, and assisted financially local and national political leaders, and office seekers. Russell both built a visible and admired company and worked behind the scenes on racial and economic issues. Nathan Deal, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and the Metro Atlanta Chamber, of which Russell was a former leader, preceded dozens of quotes in tribute. By building one of our nations most successful minority-owned companies, his legacy is a shining example for small business owners with big dreams. Survived by son, Russell (Patricia); grandchildren, Brent (Bethany), Adam (Jessica . Russell Company headquarters, Photo - Herman Russell during construction of his duplex, 1947, Occupation(s): Family, friends and colleagues from former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and fellow construction giant Robert Holder to Russells children and grandchildren remembered a leader who had a deft sense of humor, favored a strong work ethic and could pinch a penny until it bled. Your email address will not be published. Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. As Atlanta natives, we pride ourselves on telling stories of some of the most consequential figures in our citys and states history through film, and it was particularly rewarding to be able to create a documentary about an Atlanta icon who quietly and fearlessly did so much to help create the Atlanta we know today, said co-director, David Duke of Living Stories Film & Video. Go back inside and find something to do, Russell Jr. said his grandfather ordered. He most notably founded H.J. King, chief executive officer of The King Center, stated, It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the King Center acknowledges the passing of one of Atlantas extraordinary civic leaders and entrepreneurs, Mr. Herman J. Russell. Those who wont be flying in the coming months can also enjoy the film on H. J. Russell & Companys YouTube channel. "When history catches its breath, Mr. Russell's life work will place him among the most significant heroes of the Civil Rights Movement because of his unwavering contributions and commitment to the progress of this city and nation. ATLANTA, GA (NNPA) Herman J. Russell, the native Atlantan born in 1931 from humble beginnings in the Summerhill community who ultimately grew to become founder of the nations most influential African American construction and property management company in southwest Atlanta, from a plastering business in the 50s made transition, on Saturday, Nov. 15, following a brief illness.
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