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Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell was born in Trelleck, Wales on May 18, 1872. He was a descendant of a prominent Whig family. His grandfather was the Lord John Russell, who had twice served as Prime Minister under Queen Victoria. Bertrand was orphaned at the age of three and raised by his grandparents. He was educated in private schools and later at Trinity College, Cambridge. He earned degrees in mathematics and philosophy. Eventually he taught at …

…teach at the college because of his attacks on religion and his advocacy of sexual freedom. When his brother died in 1931 he became the 3rd Earl of the Russell family. In 1949 he was awarded the Order of Merit by King George VI. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950 and was named "the champion of humanity and freedom of thought." Russell remained a prominent public figure until his death at the age of 97 in 1970.