Strategy, Strategy, Strategy

Always thinking, always strategizing, Rusty Russell was a man who had foresight and delighted in planning. His mind was never relaxed; he was always thinking about the future and how to manage and execute to meet goals.

"Whether it was bridge, or football, or investments or really, anything, he was a master strategist," Betty Russell recalls of her father, H.N. "Rusty" Russell, who, because of his influence, remains an avid football fan and reads the newspaper sports section first every day and plans her schedule around sports events she can watch on tv or attend.

According to History Professor J. Rufus Fears, the ability to have foresight is a critical element of leaders who make an impact.

Going through the letters and cards received after her father died, those whom Russell mentored as teacher or coach mentioned most the influence he had in their lives in teaching them values, character, and how to be successful in life. Rarely was football even mentioned in these letters.