Foster Meharry Russell is author of seven books, Braids of Beauty, One Small Drop of Ink, This Is My Concern, High On The Hog, Rendezvous, What A Friend We Have in Jesus, Ink In Our Souls; several pamphlets on capital punishment, freedom of the Press, education, retarded infants, Canada-United States relationship, travel, national and provincial issues, and human rights.
Born in Millbrook, Ontario, he published The Coldwater News, 1938-1946; The Cobourg Sentinel-Star, 1946-1969; and continued as columnist for The Trentonian and The Peterborough Examiner.
In 1978, Russell was appointed a member of The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal; the same year he successfully campaigned against the restructuring of Northumberland County, opposing local and provincial politicians who would not sponsor a public vote. He led many campaigns, one of which forced the resignation of a Cobourg mayor because of racial discrimination.
The international Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award was presented to FMR in 1965 by the Department of Journalism, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, for "Courage in Journalism" on a right-to-work issue. Russell received an all-Canada award for an editorial protesting the picketing of a Cobourg church; an Ontario Water Resources award came for an article on pollution; editorials appeared five times in the Golden Quill, an international booklet published annually; his work has appeared in The Congressional Record, United States, municipal journals, periodicals, newspapers in Canada and abroad.
Russell was publicity director for The First World Ploughing Match which was held in Canada, and president of The United Counties Broadcasting Company when radio was licensed for Cobourg and Port Hope. During his lifetime in newspaper work the rights and human dignity of the individual have been paramount.
With his wife, Jean (Dickinson), Foster M. Russell resides at Creighton Heights, Cobourg. Son, Robin, is pursuing a political career in the capital city, Ottawa, Canada.
