Ill offer you $30,000, and if youre half as good as you think you are, youll be making a lot more money, Russell told Khalil. Herman was born October 19, 1935 in Victoria, Kansas. 1995: Constructs Wachovia Headquarters in Winston-Salem, N.C. 1999: Donates $4 million to Tuskegee University, Clark Atlanta University, Georgia State University and Morehouse College. Russell was the low bidder as a subcontractor for Midtowns Colony Square, but it was 1968 and Holder was reluctant to give such a big job to a small, little-known, minority firm. He didnt treat us any different than anybody else, Major said. Russell did. Go back inside and find something to do, Russell Jr. said his grandfather ordered. Russell & Co. 2003: Grady Hospital Cancer Center of Excellence project. Russell, chairman/CEO of H. J. Russell & Co., was born on December 23, 1930, in Atlanta, one of seven childrenof Maggie and Rogers Russell. My world was designed to succeed, Holder said. Russell told him it was getting up in the morning and going to work. He built movements.. When are the 2023 college graduation ceremonies in Georgia? 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. 1987: Constructs Wachovia Bank operations center in North Carolina. The . It is a loss that I and so many others share.. Russell partnered with noted white business leaders such as developer John Portman and Aarons founder Charles Loudermilk. Atlanta business icon Herman J. Russell has died - ajc.com Martin Luther King is more alive in our lives today than he was 45 years ago.. Russell passed that test. He retired twice once in 1996 and the last time in 2003. He helped get them elected., His speech impediment was an asset, Egbert Perry, a protege of Russells and now CEO of development firm The Integral Group, once told the AJC. Delta put us together in a shotgun wedding, Holder said in an interview several years ago. He also was a key member of the Civil Rights movement and broke down barriers for minority entrepreneurs. 7th Terrace, His tremendous works can be found amongst the Atlanta skyline, the businesses he created, but most of all and the beautiful family that he raised. Founded in 1952, H. J. Russell & Company is one of the largest minority-owned construction services and real estate development firms in the United States. 1989: Constructs Grady High School addition. Would he pick it up or let it sit there at the bottom of the bowl? It melted my heart.. Watergate, oil shortages and declining real estate markets created uncertainty in every area of the nation. 1993: Oversees Birmingham International Airport. Herman J Russell built one of the country's leading black owned construction, real estate and concessions empires. Lastly, did one pass on peacefully and with grace. Copyright 2023. Russell & Company CEO Michael Russell said in a statement. 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. I want to think the Russell children for sharing your father with me, Khalil said. He was not just an example of self-made success, but a demonstration of a life well lived. Ever the enterprising adolescent, Russell used the revenue from his teen businesses to fully finance his expensive education at the private HBCU Tuskegee Universityin Alabama. He befriended contemporaries like M.L. 1945: At 16, buys land in Summerhill for $125. Because of these dizzying exploits and success, the tributes continue to pour in for Russell, who will be laid to rest this week. As early as the age of 8, Herman J. Russell was inspired to build and own real estate, and to be his own employer. Russell & Company in 2003, at which point his son, Michael, succeeded him in running the business. Herman J. Gerhardt - Pohlman~Varner~Peeler Mortuary Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. He is one of the best men our city has ever produced, said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. H. Photo credit: Courtesy Herman J. Russell family. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., helped shape the citys skyline and wielded influence far beyond his hometown. The Westside Gazette @ 2023 - Site Designed by No Regret Media, Carma Lynn Henry If you lose any money, its your ass. At that time, the construction company had revenues of $12 million a year. Few men have done more to make Atlanta a place where people of all races and backgrounds can bring and build their dreams.". A native of Atlanta, Herman J. Russell was an accomplished tradesman by the age of 12 having learned the plastering business from his father, Rogers Russell. And then Michael remembered one his fathers favorite sayings: Bring something more to the table than your appetite.. The documentary originally aired in February 2020 on ATL PBA. As the nations business environment shifted, so did the company. It includes public projects such as the Georgia Dome, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Philips Arena, and Turner Field. Their relationship grew into a real partnership, beginning with the building of the new Hartsfield International Airport (now Hartsfield-Jackson). But instead of naming his elder son and namesake as CEO as expected, he chose his youngest son, Michael. 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. Along the way, he broke virtually every racial and economic barrier. Such a move could have destroyed other families and made for an awkward relationship among siblings, but Herman Russell executed a smooth transition. The couple eventually had three children: Donata, H. Jerome, and Michael. H.J. He was 83. He bought his first piece of land at 16 years old," Michael B. Russell said about his father. When will I get my Georgia tax rebate for 2023? Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. 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. Go run the company, Russell told him. Herman Russell was the only businessman Ive known who could tell you to go to hell in such a way that you looked forward to the trip, Jordan said. Herman J. Russell (l) at a book party with Mayor Kasim Reed. One of them looked at me. By John B. Smith, Sr. Special to the NNPA from The Atlanta Inquirer. History - H.J. Russell & Company Herman Jerome Russell (December 23, 1930 November 15, 2014) was an entrepreneur and influential figure in Atlanta, Georgia. Copyright 2023. He made his transition in a peaceful way, said his son, Michael, who serves as CEO of his fathers firm. 2023 CREATIVE LOAFING, LLC. The world is immeasurably better because of Herman J. Russell, said Atlanta City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell [8], Herman J. Russell died on November 15, 2014, at the age of 83, in Atlanta Georgia and was buried at South-View Cemetery. As a son, Im honored to carry on the family business and community activities my father started with my brother Jerome and sister Donata," current H.J. 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.
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