Author of book about Richard Russell to speak in Gainesville, hold book signing

GAINESVILLE - The author of a new book about the late Georgia Sen. Richard Russell and the author's association with Russell will speak in Gainesville later this month and hold a book signing the same day.

Charles Campbell will speak at noon Feb. 24 at the weekly meeting of the Gainesville Rotary Club. The book signing will be from 2:00-3:30 at Peach State Bank in downtown Gainesville.

Described as an autobiography, the book is titled "Senator Richard B. Russell and My Career as a Trial Lawyer."

Campbell grew up on a small cattle farm outside Jackson, Georgia. While a student at the University of Georgia in 1965, he accepted an offer to join the staff of Senator Richard B. Russell in Washington on one condition - that he be allowed to attend law school at night.

Campbell worked for Russell from January 1, 1966 until Russell's death on January 21, 1971.

In 1968, Russell appointed Campbell as his top aide and he was one of the few people in Russell's hospital room when he died.

After Russell's death, and Campbell got his law degree, he returned to Georgia and realized his boyhood dream of being a trial lawyer.