William Huntington Russell

William Huntington Russell (12 August 1809 – 19 May 1885) was co-founder of Skull and Bones along with Alphonso Taft. He was a descendant of the most noted New England families, including Pierpont, Hooker, Bingham, and Willet.

Born in Middletown, Connecticut, William was a cadet at the United States Military Academy, where he was taught under strict military discipline. In 1828, William's father died, piling family responsibility on to him. Under severe financial restraints, he entered Yale College. He supported himself throughout his college years and to cut on costs he travelled by foot between Yale in New Haven and his home in Middletown (This is likely revisionist history, as William was first cousin to Samuel Russell, the richest Opium dealer in the World, and the distance of some 27.0 mi from New Haven to Middletown was a bit more than a "walk to school"). Despite his financial restraints, he graduated with an MA in 1833. Not only was he class valedictorian, he was the founder of a secret society that would spawn three United States Presidents, Skull and Bones. From 1831 to 1832, Russell studied in Germany. It has been suggested while there, he was initiated into a German society that inspired Skull and Bones. Confirmation of this came when the Skull and Bones meeting hall was broken into and materials were found that refer to Skull and Bones as the Yale Chapter of a German society. The German "Illuminati" was outlawed as effected by an edict of the Bavarian government in 1785 and it is assumed that they then became a truly secretive underground organization.

One account of the society's foundation says Russell was secretary of the Yale University chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It is said that Russell was furious when a prominent undergraduate scholar was left out of the Phi Beta Kappa elections and Russell openly condemned the fraternity. He joined with the undergraduate and thirteen other students to found the Eulogian Club, which later became known as Skull and Bones.

Russell had planned on entering the ministry, but his financial problems forced him to obtain an immediate income through teaching. In September 1836, he opened a private prep school for boys in a small dwelling house. The school would become known as the Collegiate and Commercial Institute. To begin with, the school was only attended by a small number of boys, but by the time of Russell's death the school had become well known and had graduated around 4,000 boys. In about 1840, Russell introduced a very thorough military drill and discipline into his school. He foresaw a Civil War in the future, and wanted to make sure his boys were prepared to fight for the Union. His students were so well schooled in military affairs that on the outbreak of Civil War some were enlisted as drill instructors.

He not only gave his students to the Union army, but also his own services. Governor Buckingham realised that Russell was one of the most knowledgeable men in military affairs. For this reason, Russell was hired to organise the Connecticut militia. He was later made a major-general by act of the legislature.

From 1846 to 1847, Russell served as a Whig in the Connecticut state legislature. Upon the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854, he became active as one of the leaders of the movement which resulted in the organization of the Republican party. He was a strong abolitionist and a friend of John Brown. Russell was named as a trustee in the will of John Brown. He was also the Connecticut representative on the National Kansas Committee.

In 1856, with several other Bonesmen, he incorporated Skull and Bones as the Russell Trust, later the Russell Trust Association. The Russell Trust Association is a tax-exempt association and holds possession of the Skull Bons hall at Yale University and the society's holiday island, Deer Island.

Williams cousin Samuel Russell formally established Russell & Co. on January 1, 1824 for the purpose of acquiring opium and smuggling it to China. Russell & Co. merged with the number one US trader, the J. & T.H. Perkins "Boston Concern" in 1829. By the mid-1830s the opium trade had become "the largest commerce of its time in any single commodity, anywhere in the world."

In May 1885, he saw boys throwing stones at birds in the park in New Haven, Connecticut. Russell sought to protect the birds from the boys. The activity was too much for him and he fell unconscious from a fatal rupture of a blood vessel and died several days later.

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