HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRO-2024-024-Proclamation Recognizing and Honoring Dr. Harold Russell '/PlZunq ® gl/ . , ' 10 � i51�31�
PROCLAMATIONORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
I ING AND HONORING
R . HAROLD RUSS LL
AS AN ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY TREASURE
WHEREAS , Dr . Harold Russell was born in Hillsborough in 1934 and lived in Orange
County until 1960 ; and
'I
WHEREAS , in high school , Dr . Russell developed a passion for science and carried that
interest with him to North Carolina Central University and subsequently on to the United
States Health Department office located in Chapel Hill ; and
WHEREAS , Dr . Russell was subsequently transferred to the Center for Disease Control
( CDC ) office in Atlanta , Georgia where he worked for nine years ; and
WHEREAS , Dr . Russell and his wife , Margaret Martin Russell , left Atlanta and moved to
Ithaca , New York where Dr . Russell furthered his education at Cornell University with a
Master' s degree in immunochemistry as well as a doctorate ; and
c
WHEREAS , Dr . Russell returned to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta and invested
an illustrious career of 37 total years with the CDC ; and
G
WHEREAS , while at the CDC , Dr . Russell specialized , among many things , on antibody I'
tests to determine if a person had developed antibodies against a specific antigen as a
component of a virus , and developed the first diagnostic test for Lyme disease , and also
worked on a vaccine for Pneumococcal pneumonia , including inventing a specific
component of the vaccine ; and
WHEREAS , during his career at the CDC , Dr . Russell secured two patents as the inventor
and three other patents as a co - inventor ; and
WHEREAS , after retirement , Dr . Russell returned to Orange County with Margaret and
they live in Efland on property that has been in his family since 1871 ;
NOW, THEREFORE , we , the Orange County Board of Commissioners , do hereby
recognize and honor Dr . Harold Russell as an
Orange County Community Treasure
and encourage the residents of Orange County to join with us in expressing gratitude to
Dr . Russell for his work in science and for his dedicated service to the health and welk
being of people worldwide .
This the 15t " Day of October , 2024
s
>V
.� Ja ezett edford , C it
,a
az Orange County Board of Commissioners