Tom Lyon Russell
1917 - 2015
Tom was born in Parson, KS. He is a graduate (1939) - Kansas City Art Institute, where he studied under and later became friends with Thomas Hart Benton. He also has his MFA (1948) - Kansas City Art Institute and his BFA (1947) - Bethany College. He also studied at New York's Art Students League from 1939-1940. He was Art Professor at KCAI and Baker University, where he was Chair of the Art Department, from 1963-1982. In addition to Benton, he maintained friendships with fellow artists: Robert Sudlow, Will Niewald, and Jackson Pollack. He served as a reconnaissance pilot in Europe during WWII. While in Europe, he studied with Henry Moore. Tom passed away in 2015 in Baldwin City, KS.
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