Rose Swisher was born on December 27, 1929. She was an American model and photographer. Swisher was the first of William Russell’s four wives. Additionally, Russell is famous as one of the best players in the history of the game of basketball. Also, Rose met Russell at the University of San Francisco where she was studying nursing and Russell was studying physical education. They fell in love with each other while they were college students, married, and later divorced in 1973.
First Wife of Bill Russell: Rose Swisher
Rose tied the marriage knot with Bill Russell on December 9, 1956. Then, they had three children – Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr, and Karen Russell. In 1973, Rose filed for divorce from Bill and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their separation. Rose once said about Bill – There is no way to describe the shape he would be in if it weren’t for me. He’d be dead by now.
However, the general public doesn’t know much about the relationship between NBA legend Bill Russell and Rose. We will fill you in on everything you need to know about her, straight from Bill Russell’s autobiography My Life, My Road (1985).
Bill Russell Wife
It is not very difficult to find the personal life of NBA player Bill Russell interesting. The same thing is true about Bill Russell wife. She got married to Russell on December 9, 1956 – the day when her husband signed with the Boston Celtics 1956. Rose and Bill ended up getting divorced in 1973.
Rose was one of the first African-American supermodels of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing on the cover of “Ebony” magazine and fashion runways. She was also very popular for being the face of Maybelline Cosmetics. In 1961, Bill married Rose in Cincinnati and had two daughters with her. Their daughter, Karen entered the world in 1972 and 5 years later, the couple separated.
Born in Chicago, Rose attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and became a social activist in the 1960s. She was one of the students who protested against the Vietnam war. Throughout her life, Rose fought for social justice.
Bill Russell Bio
He roughly earned $450,000 in 1961-62 (the first year that NBA players were able to negotiate their contracts), more than any other player in the league. Bill Russell was born and raised in West Monroe, Louisiana, the son of Prince Rupert Russell, a sharecropper, and his wife, Julia.
Bill grew up in a relatively poor environment. In his early years, he picked cotton on his grandparents’ farm. He had only two pairs of pants and two shirts to last him all year, so he changed between pants and shirts weekly.
Conclusion
Rose Swisher, the first wife of Bill Russell, passed away at the age of 86. She is survived by her son William and her daughter Karen Russell, who is married to multimillionaire Dikembe Mutombo.
