Eugene E. Campbell
Encyclopedia
Eugene Edward "Gene" Campbell (April 26, 1915 – April 10, 1986) was an American
professor of history at Brigham Young University
(BYU).
in a working-class Mormon
family. When Campbell was fourteen, his father, who was a railroad engineer
, died suddenly. His mother was active in the community and her elected position as county treasurer helped the family survive the Great Depression
.
. He was active in sports and student government and received his Associate of Arts degree in 1935. Then he served as a missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Eastern Canada
. After returning home in 1937 and studying history at the University of Utah
, Campbell received his bachelors degree with high honors in 1939 and his masters degree in 1940.
In 1939, Campbell married Beth Larsen, whom he knew in high school and had dated for seven years. They would have five children.
After teaching LDS Seminary part-time for a year, Campbell became a full-time instructor from 1940 to 1944 in Wayne County, Utah
, and Magna, Utah
.
From 1944 to 1946, during World War II
, Campbell served in the Chaplain Corps
of the United States Army
as a First Lieutenant. He attended Chaplains School at Harvard University
and was assigned to the 71st Infantry Division and received two battle stars.
After the war, Campbell returned to religious teaching in the LDS Church Educational System
, this time in the church's Institutes of Religion, first as Institute director at Idaho State University
in Pocatello
, then as associate director at Utah State University
at Logan
. Campbell completed his Ph.D.
at the University of Southern California
in 1952, writing his dissertation on the history of the LDS Church in California
.
until joining the history faculty of BYU from 1956 to 1980. At BYU, Campbell worked in various capacities and held many positions, including the history department's acting chair (1958–59) and chair (1960–67), chair of Visiting Professor Lectureships (1965), tour leader for BYU Tours of Europe, associate director for a study abroad program (1965), board member of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies (1972–80), member of the Athletic Advisory Council, member of the Graduate Council, member of the Faculty Advisor Council, president of the BYU chapter of AAUP
(1965–66), member of the board of editors for BYU Studies
(1968–73), and main speaker at the 1973 and 1980 graduations of the College of Social Sciences. He also taught history at the Church College of Hawaii, while on leave from BYU in 1967–68.
Campbell was also involved in the larger historical community. In 1965 he was one of the co-founders of the Mormon History Association
, served as its first vice president, and the next year was its second president. He was active in the Utah State Historical Society
, serving as president of its Utah Valley
Chapter in 1968 and a Fellow in 1978, an honor only given to fifteen others before, including to Fawn Brodie, Leonard J. Arrington
, LeRoy Hafen and Juanita Brooks
. Campbell was a member of the Danforth Associates
and the Western History Association
, and consulted for the National Endowment for the Humanities
for many years starting in 1975.
Fort Supply: Brigham Young's Green River Experiment
Utah's History
Utah: A Guide to the State
Establishing Zion
The Essential Brigham Young
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professor of history at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU).
Biography
Campbell was born and raised in Tooele, UtahTooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
in a working-class Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
family. When Campbell was fourteen, his father, who was a railroad engineer
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
, died suddenly. His mother was active in the community and her elected position as county treasurer helped the family survive the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Education and military service
Following his 1933 graduation from Tooele High School, his interest in sports led him to attend Snow Junior College in Ephraim, UtahEphraim, Utah
Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 6,135 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Sanpete County. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.-History:Ephraim was founded in 1854...
. He was active in sports and student government and received his Associate of Arts degree in 1935. Then he served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
. After returning home in 1937 and studying history at the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, Campbell received his bachelors degree with high honors in 1939 and his masters degree in 1940.
In 1939, Campbell married Beth Larsen, whom he knew in high school and had dated for seven years. They would have five children.
After teaching LDS Seminary part-time for a year, Campbell became a full-time instructor from 1940 to 1944 in Wayne County, Utah
Wayne County, Utah
Wayne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. It was formed from Piute County in 1892. The county gets its name from a man who served as delegate to the constitutional convention, in honor of his son who was dragged to death by a horse. As of 2000 the population was 2,509, and by...
, and Magna, Utah
Magna, Utah
Magna is a census-designated place and township in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. The population was 26,505 at the 2010 census, a moderate increase over the 2000 figure of 22,770...
.
From 1944 to 1946, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Campbell served in the Chaplain Corps
Chaplain Corps (United States Army)
The Chaplain Corps of the United States Army consists of ordained clergy who are commissioned Army officers as well as enlisted soldiers who serve as assistants. Their purpose is to offer religious services, counseling, and moral support to the armed forces, whether in peacetime or at war.-Army...
of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a First Lieutenant. He attended Chaplains School at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and was assigned to the 71st Infantry Division and received two battle stars.
After the war, Campbell returned to religious teaching in the LDS Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
, this time in the church's Institutes of Religion, first as Institute director at Idaho State University
Idaho State University
Idaho State University is a public university located in Pocatello, Idaho. It has outreach programs in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls....
in Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
, then as associate director at Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
at Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
. Campbell completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1952, writing his dissertation on the history of the LDS Church in California
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California
As of year-end 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 763,370 members in 1,361 wards and branches, 16 missions, and 7 temples and 193 Family History Centers in California.-History:-Brooklyn Saints:...
.
Academic career
After completing his education, Campbell taught at Ricks College in Rexburg, IdahoRexburg, Idaho
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,257 people, 4,274 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4 per square mile...
until joining the history faculty of BYU from 1956 to 1980. At BYU, Campbell worked in various capacities and held many positions, including the history department's acting chair (1958–59) and chair (1960–67), chair of Visiting Professor Lectureships (1965), tour leader for BYU Tours of Europe, associate director for a study abroad program (1965), board member of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies (1972–80), member of the Athletic Advisory Council, member of the Graduate Council, member of the Faculty Advisor Council, president of the BYU chapter of AAUP
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
(1965–66), member of the board of editors for BYU Studies
BYU Studies
BYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(1968–73), and main speaker at the 1973 and 1980 graduations of the College of Social Sciences. He also taught history at the Church College of Hawaii, while on leave from BYU in 1967–68.
Campbell was also involved in the larger historical community. In 1965 he was one of the co-founders of the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
, served as its first vice president, and the next year was its second president. He was active in the Utah State Historical Society
Utah State Historical Society
The Utah State Historical Society, founded in 1897 and now part of the Government of Utah, United States, encourages the research, study, and publication of Utah history....
, serving as president of its Utah Valley
Utah Valley
Utah Valley is a valley in North Central Utah located in Utah County, and is considered part of the Wasatch Front. It contains Provo, Orem, and their suburbs, including Highland, Eagle Mountain, Saratoga Springs, Mapleton, Spanish Fork, Lindon, Pleasant Grove, Springville, Lehi, Payson, and...
Chapter in 1968 and a Fellow in 1978, an honor only given to fifteen others before, including to Fawn Brodie, Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
, LeRoy Hafen and Juanita Brooks
Juanita Brooks
Juanita Pulsipher Brooks was an American historian and author, specializing in the American West and Mormon history, including books related to the Mountain Meadows massacre, to which her ancestor Dudley Leavitt was sometimes linked.-Biography:Born Juanita Leone Leavitt, Brooks was born and raised...
. Campbell was a member of the Danforth Associates
Danforth Foundation
Danforth Foundation is one of the largest private non-for profit foundations in the St. Louis Metropolitan region. The foundation has 1.5 billion USD in assets as of 2003. Established in 1927 by Ralston Purina founder William H. Danforth and his wife, the Danforth Foundation grants funds...
and the Western History Association
Western History Association
The Western History Association was organized in 1961 at Santa Fe, New Mexico, to "promote the study of the North American West in its varied aspects and broadest sense." Included in the field of study are the American West and western Canada. The Western History Association is headquartered at...
, and consulted for the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
for many years starting in 1975.
Reviews of Campbell's work
Fort Bridger: Island in the Wilderness- Davis, W. N., Jr. (January 1976). Western Historical Quarterly 7: 80.
- Murray, Robert A. (Winter 1976). Utah Historical Quarterly 44 (1): 98–99.
- Raines, Edgar Frank, Jr. (Summer 1976). Arizona and the West 18: 185–87.
- Mattes, Merrill J. (Fall 1976). Colorado Magazine 53: 380–81.
Fort Supply: Brigham Young's Green River Experiment
- Edwards, Elbert B. (Spring 1978). Utah Historical Quarterly 46 (2): 205–06.
Utah's History
- Petersen, Scott R. (August 1978). Mountainwest 4: 58.
- (June–July 1979). Frontier Times 53: 39.
- Layton, Stanford J. (September–October 1979). American West 16: 54–55.
- Smith, Melvin T. (January 1980). Western Historical Quarterly: 74–75.
- Sillito, John R. (Spring 1982). Idaho Yesterdays 26: 37–38.
Utah: A Guide to the State
- Arrington, Leonard J.Leonard J. ArringtonLeonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
(Fall 1982). BYU StudiesBYU StudiesBYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
22: 502–04.
Establishing Zion
- (October 1, 1988). Church NewsChurch NewsThe Church News is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the Deseret News and the MormonTimes , a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(58): 13. - Etter, Patricia A. (December 1988). Books of the Southwest (361): 9.
- Walker, Ronald W.Ronald W. WalkerRonald Warren Walker is a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement who was formerly a professor at Brigham Young University and president of the Mormon History Association.-Biography:...
(Spring 1989). BYU StudiesBYU StudiesBYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
29 (2): 126–27. - Smith, Melvin T. (Spring 1989). Utah Historical Quarterly 57 (2): 181–83.
- Pointer, Richard W. (April 1989). Pacific Northwest QuarterlyPacific Northwest QuarterlyPacific Northwest Quarterly is a peer-reviewed academic journal of history that publishes scholarship relating to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, including Alaska, and adjacent areas of western Canada. Founded in 1906 by Edmond S...
80 (2): 73. - Parrish, William Earl (July 1989). Journal of the WestJournal of the WestJournal of the West is an illustrated quarterly history journal devoted to the history and culture of the American West. Each issue of the Journal is highlighted by a series of articles on a theme central to the history and life of the region. The journal is published by ABC-CLIO, in Santa Barbara,...
28 (3): 92. - Sadler, Richard W. (Fall 1989). Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
22 (3): 152–154. - Lyman, E. Leo (November 1989). Western Historical Quarterly 20 (4): 454–55.
- DePillis, Mario S. (December 1989). Journal of American HistoryJournal of American HistoryThe Journal of American History is the official academic journal of the Organization of American Historians. It covers the field of American history and was established in 1914 as the Mississippi Valley Historical Review, the official journal of the Mississippi Valley Historical Association...
76 (3): 933–34. - May, Dean L. (June 1990). SunstoneSunstone MagazineSunstone is a magazine published by the Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a 501 nonprofit corporation, that discusses Mormonism through scholarship, art, short fiction, and poetry. The foundation began the publication in 1974 and considers it a vehicle for free and frank exchange in The Church...
14 (3): 55–56. - Peterson, Charles S. (July 1990). New Mexico Historical Review 65 (3): 384–85.
The Essential Brigham Young
- Guarneri, Carl. (Spring 1993). Journal of the Early Republic 13 (1): 110–12.
- Jones, Gerald E. (December 1993). Church History 62 (4): 573–74.