Russell West McDonald

Russell West McDonald was a Reno attorney whose career spanned law, state government, and Nevada history. Admitted to the Nevada bar in 1947, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before building a long record of public service in his home state.

Over the course of his career, McDonald served as director of the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau and as director of the Statute Revision Commission of the Nevada Supreme Court, work that placed him at the center of the state's legislative and legal machinery. He also served as Washoe County manager, bringing his legal training to bear on the administration of county government.

Beyond his official duties, McDonald was a dedicated student of Nevada's legal past. From the 1950s through the 1990s, he compiled extensive research on the state's lawyers, judges, and legislators - materials now preserved as the Russell West McDonald papers at the Nevada Historical Society, a lasting record of his devotion to the history of the Nevada bar and bench.