Truman Alumna Administered Oath of Office as Newest Missouri Supreme Court Justice

Mary Rhodes Russell, (left) Truman alumna and former Truman Board of Governors member and president, is sworn in as Missouri’s newest supreme court justice by chief justice Ronnie White (right) March 7.

Mary Rhodes Russell, Truman State University alumna and former Truman Board of Governors member and president, was given the oath of office as Missouri’s newest supreme court justice on March 7. Chief justice Ronnie White administered the oath of office.

Russell was appointed to the Supreme Court in September 2005. She came to that court from the state Court of Appeals-Eastern District where she had been a judge since 1995. Prior to that, she was a partner in the Hannibal law firm, Clayton and Rhodes.

She received a bachelor’s degree from Truman and a law degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Known for her commitment and passion to community service, Russell is a well-known member of the Rotary Club and serves as a board member of the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life. While in Kirkwood, Russell served as a mentor at the Matthews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club and as a volunteer Truancy Court Judge at the North Kirkwood Middle School. After moving to Jefferson City, she created a similar Truancy Court. She was presented the Woman of the Year award in 2003 by the Women Lawyers’ Association and is a member of the National Association of Women Judges.