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GreendaleID
Staff/Faculty ID
Russell Borchert
Russell Borchert
Portrayed by: Chris Elliot
First appearance: "Basic Story" (seen in a portrait)
Last appearance: "Basic Sandwich"
Date of birth: unknown
Department: Computer science
Position: founder of Greendale/computer professor
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Bio[]

“
That's so stupid! Only an idiot would think of that! The idiots won! My work here is done.
”
Russell Borchert reacting to Youtube comments feature.

Russell Borchert is the eccentric founder of Greendale Computery College. He was a wealthy computer programmer who dedicated himself to creating a machine which could process human emotion. Not long after the community college opened, Borchert disappeared following a bizarre sex scandal. The campus building known as "Borchert Hall" which houses Greendale's Olympic sized swimming pool is named after him. His first appearance is in the Season Five episode "Basic Sandwich". He is portrayed by actor/comedian Chris Elliot.

Character history[]

In the 1970's, computer genius Russell Borchert created the 9 track cassette player. The 8 track cassette industry bribed him to prevent it from being manufactured and Russell became a millionaire. In 1974 he used the money to found a technological institute, the "Greendale Computery College". He then began a project to create a computer which could process human emotion. Russell used gold for the circuitry believing it to be a better conductor for emotions. His overt physical displays of affection for the machine he built created a scandal at the school. To spare his institution any embarrassment he willingly let Greendale's first Dean seal him and the entire computer lab off from the rest of the campus.



S05E12-Russell Borchert in the 70s
Borchert in the 70's.
To that end he stockpiled 50 years worth of water, food, toilet paper and cocaine to continue his project in secret while also protecting the school's reputation. During this time he had made some progress getting his machine, now dubbed "Raquel", to respond to certain emotional stimuli. He wired control of his entire lab into the mainframe of his project and continued to tinker with it as decades passed. His self imposed exile ended several decades later when students and faculty of what was now known as "Greendale Community College" entered his lab. His disheveled appearance frightened them at first until a man by the name of Jeff Winger easily subdued him.



S05E13-Russell Borchert doesn't like Woody Allen
Borchert doesn't like Woody Allen.
They recently learned the truth about his disappearance and found the entrance to his buried computer lab. On the surface, the school was about to be sold to the Subway corporation and they were searching for Borchert's missing fortune to save Greendale. They immediately recognized Raquel from archival film footage they had seen earlier and remembered the gold circuitry it contained. Borchert protested when several of his visitors tried to remove Raquel. Jeff explained that they needed the gold circuitry to save the school and added that it was time for Borchert to let go of Raquel. He pointed out it had already cost him too many years of his life and gave nothing back in return.



S05E13-Borchert time to let go
Jeff suggests it's time to let go of Raquel.
Another one of the visitors, Annie Edison, argued that taking Raquel away from Borchert would make them just as bad as Subway. Borchert thanked her and told them if it was money they needed he still had several million dollars in a duffel bag. He offered it to them if they would leave him and Raquel be. At that moment, more outsiders showed up and took Raquel hostage. Richie and Carl and Ben Chang grabbed the bag of money and short circuited Raquel. With her CPU fried the entrance to the lab sealed itself shut behind the thieves after they left. While Borchert examined Raquel Jeff found a few documents he had which could help them stop the sale of Greendale.



S05E13-Borchert demos Raquels emotions
Borchert, Borchert loved computers, more than women's butts or hooters.
Borchert found that Raquel's emotional components were still intact which he demonstrated by connecting himself to the machine via a headgear peripheral. As Borchert pleasured himself the machine briefly react and he theorized a larger burst of emotion could reboot the computer which in turn would open the doors. Jeff volunteered and somehow generated the emotion needed. Borchert accompanied the others on the surface and they arrived just in time to interrupt the ceremony signing Greendale over to Subway. Jeff showed off the original contract the city signed with Borchert which gave him the right to consult on all future scholastic endeavors on campus. When the Subway rep saw Borchert's dishevelled state he immediately withdrew from the sale and Greendale was saved ("Basic Sandwich").



S05E13-Borchert What did you do
What did you do?

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