Image Credit: Elyse Butler
Year Erected: 2025
Marker Text: Graduating in 1952 from Tuskegee Institute, Herman Russell (1930-2014) founded the H. J. Russell Plastering Company in Atlanta, which became H. J. Russell & Company. The company and its subsidiaries are among the nation’s most successful and diversified African-American business enterprises involved in construction, real estate, airport concessions, banking, beverage distribution, and media. With clients that included government, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies, H. J. Russell & Company helped build modern-day Atlanta with the construction of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Mercedes Benz-Stadium, State Farm Arena, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. A nationally recognized entrepreneur and philanthropist, and one of Atlanta’s most influential leaders, Russell stepped down as CEO in 2003. Herman Russell’s influence continues through the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, Concessions International, and H. J. Russell & Company.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society and H. J. Russell & Company
Tips for Finding This Marker: At the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, 504 Fair Street SW, in Atlanta.
Learn more about the marker here:
Explore this marker and more through the Georgia Historical Society's interactive database.