DANIEL L. RUSSELL, the forty-ninth governor of North Carolina, was born in Brunswick County, North Carolina on August 7, 1845. His early education was attained through private tutoring. He later attended Bingham School, and the University of North Carolina. However, when the Civil War started, he left school and enlisted in the Confederate Army. After his military service, he studied law, and then established his legal career in Wilmington. Russell first entered politics as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, a position he held from 1864 to 1866 and held again in 1876. He served as a Superior Court justice from 1868 to 1874; and was a delegate to the 1871 state constitutional convention. He also served as a delegate to the 1876 Republican National Convention; and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1879 to 1881. Russell next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in the 1896 general election. During his tenure, an increase in educational funding was supported; and anti-monopoly laws were promoted. After completing his term, Russell retired from political life. He continued to stay active in his legal practice, as well as in his farming interests. Governor Daniel L. Russell passed away on May 14, 1908, and was buried in the family graveyard in Hickory Hill, North Carolina.