:Edwin F. Russell

Russell was born on July 15, 1914, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, one of five children born to Lucius Thomas Russell (1871–1948) and Marian Cronin. His father, who was born in Mississippi, was a newspaper publisher who founded The Newark Star, which became The Star-Ledger.{{cite news|title=L. T. RUSSELL DIES; FIERY PUBLISHER; Founder in 1916 of Newark Ledger--Had Colorful Career as Western Editor in '80s|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/06/22/archives/l-t-russfl-dies-fy-pobusnbn-l-i-in-1916-of-newarkl-ledgerhad.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=22 June 1948}}

Russell was a 1937 graduate of Princeton University.{{cite journal|last1=Princeton Alumni Weekly|first1=The Class of 1937|title=Edwin F. Russell '37|journal=Princeton Alumni Weekly|url=https://paw.princeton.edu/memorial/edwin-f-russell-%E2%80%9937|accessdate=14 June 2017}}

As the United States had yet to enter World War II, Russell enlisted in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. In the autumn of 1941, he was summoned for active duty in the British Royal Navy and, after a brief tour of duty in Canadian waters, attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and served aboard the British cruiser Norfolk as gunnery officer. He met his first wife, Lady Mary, in Scotland while recovering from an injury he received on the job.

In 1943, he transferred to the United States Navy upon the U.S.'s entry into the War, and eventually joined the staff of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower.

During the 1940s, he worked as the associate publisher of The Star-Ledger, a Newark newspaper.

Russell was the chairman of The Patriot-News Company and the former publisher of The Harrisburg Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa.{{Cite web |url=http://www.patriot-news.com/ourHistory.php |title=The Patriot-News |access-date=2009-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219052853/http://www.patriot-news.com/ourHistory.php |archive-date=2007-02-19 |url-status=dead }} After graduating from Princeton University, he worked during the 1940s as the associate publisher of The (Newark, NJ) Star-Ledger.

In 1947, Russell paid $2,500,000 to purchase the Harrisburg Patriot and Evening News from the widow of Vance C. McCormick, the former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee who owned the papers and had died in 1946.{{cite news|title=HARRISBURG PAPERS SOLD; E.F. Russell Pays '$2,500,000' -- Leaving Newark Daily|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/26/archives/harrisburg-papers-sold-ef-russell-pays-2500000-leaving-newark-daily.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=26 August 1947}}

Russell served in 1952 as chairman of the Pennsylvania Citizens For Eisenhower Committee. He held several positions with Condé Nast Publications; at one time he was publisher of Vogue magazine.

On May 15, 1943, he married Lady Sarah Consuelo Spencer-Churchill (1921–2000), daughter of John Spencer-Churchill, 10th Duke of Marlborough (1897–1972).{{cite news|title=Lady Sarah Spencer-Churchill|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1370866/Lady-Sarah-Spencer-Churchill.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=19 October 2000|language=en}} Winston Spencer Churchill, a grandson of the prime minister, served as a page at the wedding. Lady Sarah's grandmother was Consuelo Vanderbilt (1877–1964), who married Jacques Balsan (1868–1956) after her divorce from the Duke of Marlborough.{{cite news|last1=Long|first1=Tania|title=SARAH CHURCHILL IS WED IN LONDON; The Duke of Marlborough's Daughter Bride of Lt. Edwin F. Russell of U. S. Navy ST. MARGARET'S THRONGED 22-Year-O!d Grandson of the Prime Minister is a Page -- Service Men Honor Guard|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/05/16/archives/sarah-churchill-is-wed-in-london-the-duke-of-marlboroughs-daughter.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=16 May 1943}}{{cite news|last1=Times|first1=Special Cable To The New York|title=TROTH ANNOUNOED OF VANDERBILT KIN; Lady Sarah Spencer-Churchill Engaged to Lieut. Edwin F. Russell of Royal Navy FIANCE NEWARK' PUBLISHER Bride-Elect, Daughter of Duke of Marlborough, is Related to Mrs. Louis J. Balsan|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1943/03/27/archives/troth-announoed-of-nanderbilt-kin-lady-sarah-spencerchurchill.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=27 March 1943}} Before the marriage ended in divorce in 1966, they had four daughters:{{cite news|title=Marlborough's Daughter Wins a Divorce in Reno|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1966/10/08/archives/marlboroughs-daughter-wins-a-divorce-in-reno.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=8 October 1966}}

• Serena Mary Churchill Russell (b. 1944), who was briefly engaged to Michael Santangelo, a Broadway producer, in 1964.{{cite news|title=Serena Russell To Be Married To a Producer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/12/serena-russell-to-be-married-to-a-producer.html?_r=0|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=12 June 1964}} She married Neil Balfour (b. 1944), in 1978, who had previously been married to Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, the only daughter of Prince Paul of Yugoslavia.
• Consuelo Sarah Churchill Russell (1946-2020), who married James Lee Toback in 1968.{{cite news|last1=Klemesrud|first1=Judy|title=Mimi Russell Wed to J. L. Toback|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/04/27/archives/mimi-russell-wed-to-j-l-toback.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=27 April 1968}} They divorced in 1969 and she married Mark Schulman. They divorced and she married E. William Judson, with whom she had children.{{cite news|title=Ana Dei Santi and Nicholas Judson|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/fashion/weddings/ana-dei-santi-and-nicholas-judson.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=2 October 2005}}
• Alexandra Brenda Russell (1949-2018), who married Timothy Campbell Birch in 1970.{{cite news|last1=Times|first1=Special To The New York|title=Timothy C. Birch Fiance Of Alexandra B. Russell|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/04/19/archives/timothy-c-birch-fiance-of-alexandra-b-russell.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=19 April 1970}}{{cite news|last1=Times|first1=Special To The New York|title=Alexandra Russell Is Married To Timothy Birch of the Army|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/05/30/archives/alexandra-russell-is-married-to-timothy-birch-of-the-army.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=30 May 1970}}
• Jacqueline Dorothy Russell (b. 1958), who married Eugene Flewellyn Williams III in 1981.{{cite news|title=Jacqueline Russell Is Married|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/20/style/jacqueline-russell-is-married.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=20 September 1981}}

Following his divorce, he married Iris Vanderbilt (née Smith) Van Ingen Paine (1927–2006){{cite news|title=Paid Notice: Deaths CHRIST, IRIS VANDERBILT|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D02E3DC113AF934A25751C1A9609C8B63|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=17 December 2006}} in 1966.{{cite news|title=Edwin F. Russell And Mrs. Paine Marry in Capital; Publisher in Harrisburg Weds Daughter of Former Envoy|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1966/11/01/90611206.html?pageNumber=45|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=1 November 1966|language=en}} Iris was the daughter of Earl Edward Tailer Smith, the former United States Ambassador to Cuba and Consuelo Vanderbilt Earl (1903–2011), and was previously married to Herbert Pratt Van Ingen and Augustus G. Paine III. Her maternal grandparents were Virginia Graham Fair and William Kissam Vanderbilt II, the brother of Russell's first wife's grandmother. They later divorced{{cite news|last1=Meier|first1=Barry|title=Edwin F. Russell, 87, Newspaper Publisher|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/25/business/edwin-f-russell-87-newspaper-publisher.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=25 December 2001}} and she married Donald C. Christ.{{cite book|last1=Goldsmith|first1=Barbara|title=JOHNSON V. JOHNSON|date=2011|publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group|isbn=9780307800367|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97cfoorqH1QC&pg=PT380|accessdate=14 June 2017|language=en}}

His third and final marriage was in 1976 to Cynthia Cary Van Pelt (b. 1924), the daughter of Guy Fairfax Cary and Cynthia Roche. She was a first cousin once removed of Princess Diana, who survived him. From his third marriage, he had three stepchildren: Peter, Abby and Guy Van Pelt.{{cite news|title=Paid Notice: Deaths RUSSELL, EDWIN F.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/26/classified/paid-notice-deaths-russell-edwin-f.html|accessdate=14 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=26 December 2001}}

Russell died at his home on Hobe Sound, Florida, on December 22, 2001. His ashes were scattered by his wife, children, and grandchildren on Omaha Beach, in Normandy, France.

Through his eldest daughter, he was the grandfather of Consuelo Lily Balfour (b. 1979) and Alastair Albert David Balfour (b. 1981).

Through his daughter Consuelo "Mimi" he was the grandfather of Alexander Russell Judson, Nicholas Judson and Ian Judson

Through his youngest daughter, Jacqueline Russell Williams he was the grandfather to three more grandsons, Eugene F. Williams (b. 1985), Henry "Harry" Russell Williams (b. 1988) and Philip Dixon Williams (b. 1989)

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Category:1914 births

Category:2001 deaths

Category:Princeton University alumni

Category:American newspaper publishers (people)

Category:Businesspeople from Elizabeth, New Jersey

Category:20th-century American businesspeople

Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II