Helen Cary Russell

Helen Ellen Cary was born in Newark, New York, August 6, 1870.{{efn|According to Maw (1953), Helen was born in Wayne County, New York on August 6, 1874.}} Her parents were Lorenzo J. Cary (1834-1922) and Mary A. (Haskins) Cary (1836-1920).{{cite web |title=Helen Ellen Cary Female 6 August 1870 – 25 October 1946 |url=https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9JHY-9JH |website=www.familysearch.org |access-date=14 October 2023}}

She completed her secondary education at Newark, before attending the Normal School at Cortland, New York (now, State University of New York at Cortland.

In 1921, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Russell became the president of the Ladies' Literary Club, and then, president of the Grand Rapids Federation of Women's Clubs. In 1922, Russell became the vice-president of the MSFWC as well as chair of the state's Finance Department.{{cite book |title=Annual register of women's clubs |date=1922 |pages=99–100 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q34fAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA99 |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} She was elected president of the MSFWC in the following year. During her administration, she had four goals: she sought to bring about a much strong type of cooperation among the clubs and the women that comprised them, a greater responsibility among the clubwomen themselves, and enlargement of the scope of the federation, and the development of a new type of service to the community. She was re-elected president of the MSFWC at the 1924 state convention.{{cite book |author1=Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs |title=Annual Convention of the Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs |date=1926 |publisher=The Federation |pages=4, 6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HUHiAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA4 |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}

The Michigan Club Bulletin was the MSFWC's official organ from 1907 till 1927 when it was renamed the Michigan Federation Forum.{{cite book |last1=Gregory |first1=Winifred |title=Union list of serials in libraries of the United States and Canada |date=1939 |publisher=New York : H.W. Wilson Co. |page=238 |url=https://archive.org/details/unionlistofseria00greg6/page/238 |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}} In 1919, Russell joined the board of directors of the Michigan Club Bulletin as Recording Secretary, and during the two following years, she held the office of Vice-president-at-Large. In 1922, Russell became the board president.{{cite book |title=Michigan Federation Forum |date=1924 |pages=1, 2, 93 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JewKAAAAIAAJ |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}} In October 1926, Russell became the editor of the Michigan Club Bulletin and continued in the role after the organ's rename in the following year.

File:Mrs. Dorian M. Russell (Lansing State Journal, 1923).png

Russell became a member of the Grand Rapids school board as early as 1923. In July 1939, while still in that role, she was appointed to a five-year term as a member of the Michigan state library commission.{{cite news |title=Named to Commission |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/204876694/?terms=Mrs.%20Dorian%20Russell&match=1 |access-date=14 October 2023 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |via=Newspapers.com |date=26 July 1939 |page=1 |language=en}}

When a young woman, she went to Texas. She met Dorian M. Russell in New Orleans where she was employed as an expert court stenographer. They married in New Orleans on May 19, 1902.{{cite book |last1=Maw |first1=Blanche Blynn |last2=Clubs |first2=Michigan State Federation of Women's |title=A History of the Michigan State Federation of Women's Clubs, 1895-1953 |date=1953 |publisher=Ann Arbor Press |page=202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQ_VAAAAMAAJ |access-date=14 October 2023 |language=en}} During early married life, the couple moved to Marquette, Michigan before removing to Grand Rapids (1907), where they remained thereafter. They had two sons, Orlando (b. 1905) and Joseph (b. 1910).

In 1939, Russell made a prolonged trip to Australia.{{cite news |title=Woman's League Program for Year Is Announced |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/205450898/?terms=Mrs.%20Dorian%20Russell&match=1 |access-date=14 October 2023 |work=Battle Creek Enquirer |via=Newspapers.com |date=1 October 1939 |page=14 |language=en}}

In September 1946, Mr. and Mrs. Russell traveled to Syracuse, New York, for a visit with their son and daughter-in-law.{{cite news |title=Personal Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/35955253/?terms=Dorian%20Russell&match=1 |access-date=14 October 2023 |work=The Post-Standard |via=Newspapers.com |date=25 September 1946 |page=8 |language=en}}

The following month, on October 25, Helen Cary Russell died in Michigan.

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• [https://www.ggrwhc.org/women-who-ran/helen-e-russell/ About Helen E. Russell (1873–1946)] via Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council

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Category:1870 births

Category:1946 deaths

Category:Clubwomen

Category:People from Newark, New York

Category:People from Grand Rapids, Michigan

Category:American magazine editors

Category:American women magazine editors

Category:American women editors

Category:State University of New York at Cortland alumni