William Cammack Campbell (1923 - 2013)

Born 5 May 1923 in Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, United States

Ancestors

Died 30 Aug 2013 at age 90 in Lewisburg, Greenbrier, West Virginia, United States

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Biography

William Campbell is Notable.

William was born in 1923. He passed away in 2013. He was the son of Rolla and Ruth Campbell. He married Joan Dancy Dourif in 1954. A widow with four children. Bill and Joan would add two more children to their family.

Campbell was a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy exceling in golf and swimming before graduating from Princeton University, with a degree in History, in 1947. In between, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II where he was injured during battle. After graduating from Princeton University, Campbell's golf career began where he successfully competed at all levels of amateur golf. He started playing golf at the age of three when his parents and brother would start a tradition of playing every Sunday afternoon as a family.

Military - WWII

William served his country as an Army Captain in World War II. He was assigned to the 100th Infantry Division, U.S. Army in France and Germany. In Sicily, he was wounded in his leg by shrapnel in Line of Duty (Battle Casualty). He won a Bronze Star for Valor. After the war, he returned to Princeton to finish his degree.

Life in West Virginia

After Princeton, instead of pursuing Professional Golf, William returned to Huntington, West Virginia and followed his father into the family run insurance business. Helped by Campbell, that business became one of the most successful agencies in the United States.

Campbell learned how to fly, along with his father, Rolla. When Campbell was invited to golf tournaments either he or his father would fly them to the tournaments.

In 1948, he was appointed to the West Virginia House of Delegates where he would lose in the 1952 (re-election) primary. Shockingly, he declined an invitation to the play in the 1952 Masters as he was deep in the fight for re-election in the 1952 Congressional primary race. His mentor, Sam Snead would be crowned the winner of that 1952 Masters. Campbell would later say of both entering politics and declining the 1952 Masters invitation:

“Those were two of the worst decisions I ever made,” Campbell says now, with a smile. Kingdom Golf Magazine

Golf Career

During his golfing career, Mr. Campbell competed in 18 Masters Championships and 15 US Opens, was the runner-up at the 1954 British Amateur, captured three West Virginia Open crowns, won the North and South Amateur four times between 1950 and 1967, and played on eight Walker Cup teams, serving as captain in 1955.

His biggest win was the 1964 U.S. Amateur at age 41. He competed in 37 U.S. Amateurs, 33 of them in a row from 1941 to 1977. He also won two USGA Senior Amateurs in 1979 and 1980.

West Virginia's own Sam Snead became Campbell's golf mentor at the age of 14. He would travel to watch Snead play and has said that Sam's disappointments on the golf course were deeply felt by himself. The two remained lifelong friends for 65 years. It was Campbell who delivered Snead's eulogy when he passed away in 2002.

Campbell also became a part of golf's governing committees. He sat on the USGA Executive Committee from 1962-65 and again from 1977-84, serving as treasurer in 1978-79, vice president in 1980-81, and president in 1982-83. In 1987, he was elected Captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland, just the third American to hold the post and the only man to lead both governing bodies.

He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990 and the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame in 2009. He is often referred to as the Last Great Amateur Golfer. He never went Pro.

“I never wanted the life of a professional golfer,” Campbell explains, sitting amidst mounds of boxes and papers in his office in downtown Huntington. “It’s so concentric. That’s a hard life. Instead, I’ve enjoyed a variety of pursuits. If you look around these walls, you will see I have many interests, not just golf.” Kingdom Golf Magazine.

William "Bill" Campbell died on august 30, 2013 in Lewisburg, West Virginia. His ashes were scattered over a favorite golf course, The Greenbrier. in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

Proclamation

A portion of U.S. Route 60, from the Guyan Golf and Country Club to the Huntington City Limits in Cabell County, West Virginia was renamed to " U.S. Army CPT William C. Campbell Memorial Highway" in 2017.

Sources

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMCV-8RM : accessed 16 August 2022), William Campbell in household of Rollo D Campbell, Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 23, sheet 5A, line 15, family 55, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2529; FHL microfilm 2,342,263.
• "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7HY-HLQ : 8 January 2021), Billy Campbell in household of R D Campbell, Gideon Magisterial District, Cabell, West Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 6-41B, sheet 5A, line 39, family 100, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4398.
• Military: "U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947"
  National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for West Virginia, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 72
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2238 #13125897 (accessed 16 August 2022)
  Name: William Cammack Campbell; Race: White; Age: 19; Relationship to Draftee: Self (Head); Birth Date: 5 May 1923; Birth Place: Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Residence Place: Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA; Registration Date: 30 Jun 1942; Registration Place: Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, USA; Height: 6 4; Weight: 190; Complexion: Ruddy; Hair Color: Brown; Eye Color: Hazel; Next of Kin: Rolla D Campbell;
  Household Members Age Relationship:
  William Cammack Campbell 19 Self (Head).
• "West Virginia, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2CT-B2DX : 3 March 2020), William Cammack Campbell, 30 Jun 1942; from records extracted by FamilySearch and images digitized by Ancestry citing Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia, United States, "Draft Registration Cards for West Virginia, 10/16/1940 – 3/31/1947, "NAID 2658141. Records of the Selective Service System, 1926 - 1975, RG 147. National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.
• Military: "U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954"
  National Archives and Records Administration; Hospital Admission Card Files, ca. 1970 - ca. 1970; NAI: 570973; Record Group Number: Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), 1775-1994; Record Group Title: 112
  Ancestry Record 61817 #6313450 (accessed 16 August 2022)
  Name: Willie C Campbell; Gender: Male; Race: White/Mexican (White); Rank: Enlisted Man; Admission Age: 20; Birth Date: abt 1923; Birth Place: USA; Admission Date: Aug 1943; Admission Place: Sicily; Discharge Date: Sep 1943; Military Branch: Artillery; Diagnosis: Diagnosis: Wound, penetrating; QualifyingTerm: Right (code may also mean Pneumococcus (types 1 & 7)); Location: Leg; Location: Thorax; CausativeAgent: Shrapnel; AssociatedDisease: Hematuria; Medical Treatment: Debridement without closure; Injured in Line of Duty: In line of duty (Battle Casualty); Type of Discharge: Duty (returned to); Service Number: 20449264.
• "United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, 1980-2014," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKPK-1JWP : accessed 16 August 2022), Bill Campbell, Beckley, West Virginia, United States, 31 Aug 2013; from "Recent Newspaper Obituaries (1977 - Today)," database, GenealogyBank.com (http://www.genealogybank.com : 2014); citing Register-Herald, The, born-digital text.
• "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27Q7-TF3 : 12 January 2021), William C Campbell, 30 Aug 2013; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116432298/william-c-campbell: accessed 16 August 2022), memorial page for William C. “Bill” Campbell (5 May 1923–30 Aug 2013), Find a Grave Memorial ID 116432298, ; Maintained by Find a Grave. Cremated, Ashes scattered at The Greenbriar, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

See Also:

• Wikipedia: William C Campbell
• Wikidata: Item Q599622, en:Wikipedia
• Family History or Pedigree: "U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889-1970"
  Volume: 360
  Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2204 #727221 (accessed 16 August 2022)
  Name: William Cammack Campbell; Birth Date: 5 May 1923; Birth Place: Huntington, Cabell, West Virginia; SAR Membership: 71954; Role: Applicant; Application Date: 16 Nov 1949; Father: Rolla Darces Campbell; Mother: Ruth Cammack.
• "U.S. Army CPT William C. Campbell Memorial Highway", West Virginia Legislature, HCR58

Golf Related:

• Bill Campbell Golf Biography, World Golf Hall of Fame
• William C Campbell, Southern Golf Association
• Bill Campbell, USGA President, USGA.org
• William C Campbell, West Virginia Golf Assn, Hall of Fame.
• West Virginia's William Campbell, Golf Magazine. November 23, 2015.
• The Last Great Amateur, Kingdom Golf Magazine