Farmer, lawmaker and politician, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1820. From early boyhood he was obliged to rely upon his own resources but he procured a good education by reading without instruction. He was a Democrat from the time he was old enough to take an interest in politics and during his entire life retained that faith and was one of the trusted leaders of his party in Iowa. He was a warm supporter of Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, and served as sheriff and prothonotary for many years in Pennsylvania before coming to Iowa in 1865. Locating on a farm in Jefferson County, near Fairfield, he became a progressive farmer, intelligent and successful. For ten years he was chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee and one of the most trusted councilors of his party up to the time of William J. Bryan's nomination for President, when he affiliated with the "Gold Standard" wing which supported Palmer for President. He was elected to the House of the Fourteenth General Assembly in the fall of 1871, serving in the regular and extra session, which revised the code. When Cleveland was elected President, Mr. Campbell was appointed United States Marshal for the Southern District of Iowa. Death came to him on the 9th of March, 1901.