[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E263-E264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COMMEMORATING JAMES SOLOMON RUSSELL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JENNIFER L. McCLELLAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 19, 2024

  Ms. McCLELLAN. Mr. Speaker, the Virginia General Assembly proclaimed 
March 28th as James Solomon Russell Day. Today, I use to honor his 
legacy and incredible contributions to our Commonwealth.
  Born enslaved in 1857, James Solomon Russell's life journey 
exemplifies resilience and determination. After receiving his teaching 
license in Warren County, North Carolina, and beginning to teach in the 
area, he attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute in 1874. 
However, due to financial difficulties, he was unable to complete his 
studies and returned to teach in Warren County.
  Thereafter, he became interested in the Episcopal Church and was the 
fist student at Saint Stephen's Normal and Industrial School (later 
Bishop Payne Divinity School) in Petersburg, VA. He dedicated himself 
to uplifting his community and worked among Zion Union members in 
Brunswick County. His tireless efforts included the establishment of 
schools, senior housing, and the founding of Saint Paul's College in 
1888. Through his leadership, thousands of African American youth were 
empowered to pursue education, becoming beacons of progress across the 
Commonwealth.
  Despite closing its doors in 2013, James Solomon Russell's indelible 
mark at Saint Paul's College is kept alive at the James Solomon 
Russell--Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives in Lawrenceville, 
Virginia. I commend the James Solomon Russell Commemoration Committee 
and the Saint Paul's College Museum Committee for spearheading the 
community effort to open the museum to the public in 2019.
  Moreover, I extend my deepest appreciation to the Smithsonian 
Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture 
Robert F. Smith Center for the Digitization and Curation of African 
American History. Their collaboration with the James Solomon Russell--
Saint Paul's College Museum and Archives is invaluable. The Center's 
expertise in archiving and digitizing historical records ensures that 
Russell's story, along with the rich

[[Page E264]]

history of Saint Paul's College, remains accessible to future 
generations.

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