James Solomon Russell was born into slavery on December 20th, 1857, near Palmer Springs, Virginia. He became known as the father of St. Paul’s College (one of the three historically black Episcopal Colleges) and was the founder of numerous congregations, a missionary, and a writer.

He was the first student of St. Stephen’s Normal and Theological Institute (which later became the Bishop Payne Divinity School) in Petersburg, Virginia. In 1888, one year after his ordination as a priest in the Episcopal Church, Russell and his wife Virginia opened St. Paul’s Normal School in Lawrenceville, Virginia. Russell’s vision for the school was to provide both a literary and an industrial education. Religion was a mandatory subject, and students attended chapel twice daily. Russell served as the school’s principal and chaplain until his retirement in 1929.

For 52 years of ordained ministry in the Diocese of Southern Virginia, he worked tirelessly to encourage black candidates to offer themselves for ordination so that they could care for the growing numbers of black Episcopalians. In 1893, Russell was named the first Archdeacon for Colored Work. Southern Virginia soon had the largest population of African American Episcopalians in the United States, thanks in large measure to Russell’s evangelistic efforts. In 1927, Russell was the first African American elected bishop in the Episcopal Church. However, he declined election as Suffragan Bishop for Colored Work in the Dioceses of Arkansas and North Carolina, and he was glad that his action helped defeat the idea of subordinate racial bishops.

Russell’s ministry continued until his death on March 28th, 1935. His autobiography, Adventure in Faith, was published the following year.