Josephine Mary Russo grew up in Rhode Island and was the oldest of three children. She attended Rogers High School in Newport and graduated from Pembroke College in 1938 with her A.B. in history. She married fellow Brown graduate Leslie Carson and maintained a career in library services. Jodi Prochaska, a South Kingstown High School student, conducted another oral history in 1995 of Russo's experience during World War II. Please see “War Sparks a More Active Role for Women.”