He attended the classical academy of James Ross in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
He studied law, was admitted to the bar of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, in 1807 and to the Bedford County, Pennsylvania, bar in 1808 and commenced practice in Bedford.
He was the first burgess of Bedford Borough in the years 1818 and 1819 and a member of the State constitutional convention in 1837.
[citation needed] Russell was elected as a Whig to the Twenty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Black.
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