Robert J. Russett (May 22 1935 - March 26 2015) was a media artist, educator and writer whose animated films and installations were exhibited internationally. He was awarded the University of Lafayette's Distinguished Professor Award in 1973 for his outstanding work as a professor. An authority on animation, Russett co-authored, with Cecile Starr, the 1988 book "Experimental Animation: Origins of New Art," which is considered to be a "must-have" title in the field.

He participated in the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans with a Multi-media Installation, and after approximately twenty-five years of his career, collaborated on a traveling exhibit, Robert Russett: A Retrospective Survey, in 1989. Robert Russett's experimental films have been shown all over the world, including, The Museum of Modern Art, New York; G. Pompidou Center in Paris, France; Sinking Creek Film Celebration, Vanderbilt University; The New Orleans Museum of Art; Berkshire Museum, MA; Canadian Film Conservatory, Canada; Oberhausen Short Film Festival, West Germany; World Festival of Animation, Yugoslavia; Australian Filmmakers Festival, Australia; and the New York Film Festival at the Lincoln Center, 1977. Recently in 2013, Robert Russett Films have been preserved and are now part of the Film Archive Collection at The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences, in Hollywood, California. Also in October 2013, courtesy of the Academy Film Archive, several films were viewed at The 51st New York Film Festival, Film Society of Lincoln Center.