1969 Press Photo New Tennessee State Corrections Commissioner Lake Russell

Lake Russell, 68, Warden of the Tennessee State Penitentiary, Thursday was elevated to the post of State Corrections Commissioner. Governor Buford Ellington made the appointment after firing Harry S. Avery, who had held the post for six years. Avery had been under fire because of his handling of James Earl Ray, serving 99 years for killing Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a highly critical report of the state's penal system generally.

Photo is dated 1969.

Photo measures 8 x 10.75 inches.