Arthur Oliver Villiers Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill, GCSI GCIE (19 February 1869 – 7 July 1935) was a British peer and civil servant.

He served as Governor of Madras from October 1900 to February 1906, and as acting Viceroy of India from April to December 1904.

Russell also served as the Viceroy of India from April 1904 to December 1904, when Lord Curzon periodically returned to England.

His entry in Vanity Fair noted of him: He is a very tall, very agreeable, and good-looking young man, with a long, strong back, which is worth much in a boat.

However, Russell rejected all demands to create a separate province of Orissa and include areas from Madras Presidency in it.

As Viceroy, Russell was loyal to Curzon and successfully countered the efforts of St John Brodrick, 1st Earl of Midleton, the Secretary of State for India, who wanted to introduce anti-Curzon policies.

He chaired an advisory committee on Indian students in the United Kingdom but disagreed with the Secretary of State for India John Morley on the issue of constitutional reforms.

In 1909, Russell wrote an introduction to Joseph Doke's book M. K. Gandhi: an Indian Patriot in South Africa.

On 21 June 1908 the militia regiment became part of the Special Reserve and on that day he succeeded the Duke as Lieutenant-Colonel in command.

Lord Ampthill died of pneumonia 7 July 1935, a day before Nickalls, prompting the following anonymous epigram among the various tributes in The Times: Oarsmen they lived, and silver goblets mark The well-timed prowess of their trusty blades: In death their rhythm kept, they now embark To row their long last course among the Shades[3] On 6 October 1894, Ampthill married Lady Margaret Lygon,[6] the daughter of the 6th Earl Beauchamp in Madresfield, Worcestershire, and they had five children: He was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son, John Russell.

His record of rowing was one of the longest of his time at Eton and he first had an oar in the Dreadnought on 1 March 1885, going on to be Captain of the Boats in 1887 and 1888.

In 1890 he again competed in both events, this time racing under New College colours, and collected his first Henley medal, rowing with Guy Nickalls in the Goblets.

In 1891, racing this time as Leander, Lord Ampthill was in the crew which won the Grand Challenge Cup, setting a new course record.