William Huntington Russell (12 August 180919 May 1885) was an American businessman, educator, and politician. Notably, he was a co-founder of the Yale University secret society Skull and Bones, along with Alphonso Taft.
Early life
Russell was born in Middletown, Connecticut, on 12 August 1809. He was the eighth of thirteen children born to Mary (née Huntington) Russell (1769–1857) and Matthew Talcott Russell (1761–1828), a Justice of the Peace who served as the State's Attorney for Middlesex County and the treasurer of Middletown. Among his siblings were sisters Mary Huntington Russell and Harriet Russell (the wife of George Larned).
He was a descendant of several old New England families, including those of Huntington, Pierpont, Hooker, Willett, Bingham, and Russell. His ancestor, Rev. Noadiah Russell, was a founder and original trustee of Yale College. William's older cousin, Samuel Russell, founded the successful merchant trading firm Russell & Co. in 1823, but William was never associated with this firm.
He not only gave his students to the Union army, but also his own services. Governor William Alfred Buckingham realized that Russell was one of the most knowledgeable men in military affairs. For this reason, Russell was hired to organize the Connecticut militia. He was later made a major-general by act of the legislature in April 1862.
He was a strong abolitionist and a friend of John Brown. Russell was named as a trustee in the will of John Brown. He was also the Connecticut representative on the National Kansas Committee.
Later life
In 1856, with several other Bonesmen, he incorporated Skull and Bones as the Russell Trust, later the Russell Trust Association. The Russell Trust Association is a tax-exempt association; it holds possession of the Skull and Bones Hall at Yale University and the society's holiday island, Deer Island.
Personal life
On 19 August 1836, Russell was married to Mary Elizabeth Hubbard (1816–1890). Mary was a daughter of Lucy Hubbard and Dr. Thomas Hubbard, a professor of Surgery at the Yale Medical School.