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Philip Welsford Richmond Russell (born 1919, Durban, South Africa) was the Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa from 1957 to 1986. He was trained as a quantity surveyor but during World War Two felt the call to priesthood and became interested in the Institute of Race Relations. As a parish priest in country towns, he started expressing his doubts about apartheid in sermons. A church council in 1962 was the first time he saw black people and white people sitting together and talking.[1] He served on the council of Diakona, an interdenominational body which was very active in the both the spiritual and social service sides of Christian life. In 1980 he was named Archbishop of Cape Town as a compromise candidate between Desmond Tutu and Michael Nuttel, a conservative candidate. He retired in 1986 and was succeeded by Desmond Tutu. Russell was Bishop in Cape Town (both as suffragan and as Archbishop), Port Elizabeth and Natal during which time he was an ardent supporter of human rights through the S.A. Institute of Race Relations and the Civic Rights League. His ecumenical enthusiasm has led him to an active involvement in Diakonia, Vuleka Trust, the SACC and the World Council of Churches.[2] After the death of his wife he moved to Adelaide, Australia where three of his children had settled.
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