Russell, Paul George, 1889-1959.

Botanist Paul George Russell (1889-1963), began his 50-year career with the federal government in 1908 as a scientific aide and clerk in the National Herbarium, U.S. National Museum. He accompanied J.N. Rose on botanical expeditions to Mexico (1910), the West Indies (1913) and South America (1915). From 1916-1959, Russell was employed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among his various responsibilities as botanist, he was charge of the introduction of foreign trees upon their arrival in the United States. At the time of his retirement, he was part of the New Crops Research Branch of the Crops Research Division and was a national authority on the identification of plant species by seed alone.