Real-estate entrepreneur and philanthropist Herman J. Russell dies at 83

Herman J. Russell, an entrepreneur and philanthropist and also the founder and chairman of H. J. Russell & Company, has died after a brief illness. He was 83.

Russell, who turned a small plastering firm into one of the most successful African American-owned real estate development and construction companies in the United States, purchased his first property in 1946, and he went on to build a construction powerhouse that would consistently rank among the largest black-owned companies and a major presence in the state of Georgia and in his home town, Atlanta.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed issued the following statement on the builder and civic leader:

“Today, the city of Atlanta has lost one the best men it has ever produced. No words can express the depth of our sorrow or fill the void created by the passing of Mr. Herman J. Russell. He was an exemplar, and few men have done more to make our city a place where you can bring and build your dreams. As the founder of one of America’s most successful construction and real estate businesses, Mr. Russell shattered countless barriers creating a path of greater opportunity for all of us to follow. When history catches its breath, Mr. Russell’s life work will place him among the most significant heroes of the civil rights movement and the Atlanta business community because of his unwavering commitment to the forward progress of our city.”

Funeral arrangements are still pending.