Carroll Campbell Papers
Collection
Identifier: Mss-0087
The Campbell papers consist of the following series: Administration, Committee, Correspondence, Legislation, Media Relations, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, Speeches, Videotapes, and Ways and Means Committee. Approximately seventy percent of the collection consists of correspondence. This series is arranged by file number assigned to particular letters or groups of letters. There is a computer-generated name and subject index to this series. Files of the Administration and Ways and Means Committees concern particular legislation before these committees. The Legislation series includes copies of bills submitted in sessions, correspondence, and research notes related to them. Currently, these series are unprocessed and unavailable to researchers.
The Media Relations series documents Campbell's preparation for television and radio interviews as well as press releases, media advisories and newsletters. The series is organized alphabetically by folder title and chronologically thereafter. The newspaper clippings series has material related to Campbell from South Carolina and some out of state newspapers. It is organized by year and publication and chronologically thereafter. The photographs cover Campbell's campaigns, a variety of meetings with other political leaders, and visits with constituents.
The Speeches series consist of copies of Campbell's speeches, 1979-1986. Subjects covered include Republican political strategy, the Reagan economic program, and the South Carolina textile industry. The videotapes consist primarily of campaign spots.
Need a revised scope and content note.
Researchers desiring access to the correspondence files must receive written permission of the donor until January 1, 1997. Researchers must, in any case, agree to respect the confidentiality of correspondents and others mentioned in the correspondence files until either their death or thirty years from the date of correspondence.
Carroll Ashmore Campbell, Jr. was born in Greenville on July 24, 1940 to Carroll Ashmore and Anne Williams Campbell. Campbell grew up in Greenville, Simpsonville, and Liberty. As the eldest son in a family of six children, Campbell became accustomed to assuming responsibility and earning his own way. After graduation from high school, he married Iris Rhodes in 1959. In the 1960's, Campbell created a successful real estate business including the Handy Park Parking Company. He also invested in a chain of Burger King restaurants.
In the mid-1960's, Campbell also bought his first farm. He began raising cattle and breeding and showing Arabian horses. In 1972, one of his horses was judged among the Top Ten Western Horses in the nation.
Campbell's political career began in 1970 with his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives where he served for four years. During his second term, he was elected Assistant Minority Leader and also First Vice Chairman of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee. Campbell was the first Republican in over a century to hold an office on a standing committee at a time when the legislature contained 103 Democrats and 21 Republicans. Campbell supported the successful drive to give South Carolina's 18-year-olds legal rights, including the right to vote.
Campbell made his first state-wide race in 1974, running for the office of lieutenant governor. He lost by 33,000 votes. Subsequently, Campbell was named Executive Assistant for Governor James B. Edwards with responsibility for surrogate speaking, overseeing all public affairs, health and social agencies and representing the Governor on the Board of Trustees of the Medical University of South Carolina. He organized the State Health Coordinating Council and Health Systems Agencies, and chaired the Health and Social Development Council. Campbell also conducted an investigation of the Department of Social Services.
From 1976-1978, Campbell served in the South Carolina Senate, where he served on several committees including the Judiciary Committee. He was only the fifth non-lawyer in the history of the state to do so. During this period, Campbell and his wife began to focus on an area of continuing interest and concern to them both--working with the handicapped and the developmentally disabled. Campbell served on the Governor's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped and State Epilepsy Board, and Iris was a member of the Governor's Committee for the Advocacy of the Handicapped Citizen. Campbell has received a number of citations for his work with rehabilitation and the handicapped, including the Legislative Service Award from the National Rehabilitation Association in 1985.
In 1978, Carroll Campbell became the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent South Carolina's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives after defeating Max Heller in a closely contested race. Once in Washington, Campbell took the opportunity to continue his formal education at American University where he earned a Master's Degree in Political Science and was elected to Pi Sigma Alpha national honor society.
During his four terms as Congressman, Campbell worked on child support legislation, one-stop delivery of social services, and the Voting Rights Act. He has also concentrated on legislation of concern to South Carolina's textile industry and was a member of the Congressional Textile Caucus Steering Committee. He was the author of the textile freeze legislation in the 98th Congress, which was the forerunner of the Textile and Apparel Trade Enforcement Act of 1985. Campbell is an original cosponsor of that legislation. He served on the House Banking and Housing Committee, the Appropriations Committee and on the Ways and Means Committee.
Campbell has also earned national attention as an early supporter of and spokesman for President Ronald Reagan, whose South Carolina campaigns he chaired in both 1980 and 1984. He was also co-chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Core Group for Reagan in 1980 and chairman in 1984. Campbell has been active in national Republican politics since he attended his first political convention as an alternate delegate in 1972. He has attended each Republican National Convention since then as a South Carolina delegate. In 1976, he served on the Platform Committee and drafted the textile plank. He chaired the South Carolina delegation in 1980. In 1988, he chaired the South Carolina George Bush for President Committee.
In 1986, Campbell defeated Mike Daniel to become only the second Republican to be elected governor since Reconstruction. During his first administration, he meet the challenge of the state’s worst disaster, Hurricane Hugo. He was re-elected Governor of South Carolina in 1990.
The Campbells have two sons, Carroll A. III, born in 1964, and Richard Michael II, born in 1968.
"Carroll Campbell spent much of his life serving his country, and left as an epitaph a list of accomplishments that will live long after him," South Carolina Representative John Spratt said on the passing of Republican leader Carroll Campbell, who served South Carolina in Congress (1979-1987) and as Governor (1987-1995). (wistv.com, December 8, 2005)
Carroll Ashmore Campbell, Jr. was born in Greenville on July 24, 1940 to Carroll Ashmore and Anne Williams Campbell. Campbell grew up in Greenville, Simpsonville, and Liberty. As the eldest son in a family of six children, Campbell became accustomed to assuming responsibility and earning his own way. After graduating from high school, he married Iris Faye Rhodes in 1959. The couple had two sons, Carroll, III (b. 1964) and Richard Michael, II (b. 1968), named after Campbell's brother, who died in Vietnam on May 7, 1969.
In the 1960s, Campbell created a successful real estate business including the Handy Park Parking Company. He also invested in a chain of Burger King restaurants. In the mid-1960s, Campbell bought his first farm. He began raising cattle and breeding and showing Arabian horses. In 1972, one of his horses was judged among the Top Ten Western Horses in the nation.
Campbell's political career began in 1970 with his election to the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he served for four years. During his second term, he was elected Assistant Minority Leader and also First Vice Chairman of the Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs Committee. Campbell was the first Republican in over a century to hold an office on a standing committee, at a time when the legislature contained 103 Democrats and 21 Republicans. Among his efforts, Campbell supported the successful drive to give South Carolina's 18-year-olds legal rights, including the right to vote.
Campbell made his first statewide race in 1974, running for the office of lieutenant governor. He lost by 33,000 votes. Subsequently, Campbell was named Executive Assistant for Governor James B. Edwards, the first Republican governor of South Carolina in over a century. His responsibilities included surrogate speaking, overseeing all public affairs, health and social agencies, and representing the Governor on the Board of Trustees of the Medical University of South Carolina. He organized the State Health Coordinating Council and Health Systems Agencies, and chaired the Health and Social Development Council. Campbell also conducted an investigation of the Department of Social Services.
From 1976 to 1978, Campbell served in the South Carolina Senate. He served on several committees including the Judiciary Committee, where he was only the fifth non-lawyer in the history of the state to serve. During this period, Campbell and his wife began to focus on an area of continuing interest and concern to them both-working with the handicapped and developmentally disabled. Campbell served on the Governor's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped and the State Epilepsy Board. Mrs. Campbell was a member of the Governor's Committee for the Advocacy of the Handicapped Citizen. Campbell received a number of citations for his work with rehabilitation and the handicapped, including the Legislative Service Award form the National Rehabilitation Association in 1985.
In 1978, Campbell became the first Republican since Reconstruction to represent South Carolina's Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, after defeating Greenville mayor Max Heller in a closely contested race. Once in Washington, Campbell took the opportunity to continue his formal education at American University where he earned a Master's Degree in Political Science and was elected to Pi Sigma Alpha national honor society.
During his four terms as Congressman, Campbell served on the House Banking and Housing Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and on the Ways and Means Committee. He championed small government and worked for vocational rehabilitation, textiles and trade, and South Carolina interests.
Campbell had been active in national Republican politics since he attended his first political convention as an alternate delegate in 1972. He attended each Republican National Convention from then on as a South Carolina delegate. In 1976, he served on the Platform Committee and drafted the textile plank. He chaired the South Carolina delegation in 1980. Campbell earned national attention as an early supporter and spokesman for President Ronald Reagan, whose South Carolina campaigns he chaired in both 1980 and 1984. He was also co-chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Core Group for Reagan in 1980 and chairman in 1984. In 1988, he chaired the South Carolina George Bush for President Committee. He was Southern chairman for the George Bush for President Campaign and national co-chairman and Southern chairman of Bush's 1992 re-election effort.
In 1986, Campbell defeated Mike Daniel to become only the second Republican to be elected governor of South Carolina since Reconstruction. During his first administration, he met the challenge of the state's worst-ever natural disaster, 1989's Hurricane Hugo. He was re-elected for a second term as governor in 1990.
When Campbell left the governor's office in 1995, he became President and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurance (ACLI) in Washington, D.C. While at ACLI, he was a member of the Tax Reform Commission (also known as the Kemp Commission), sat on the board of directors of the Norfolk Southern Corporation, and served as the national co-chairman of Bob Dole's 1996 presidential campaign. Mentioned as a running mate for Bob Dole in 1996, as a possible successor to Strom Thurmond upon his retirement, and as an opponent to Fritz Hollings in the 1998 U.S. Senate race, Campbell himself admitted aspirations to hold public office once again.
In a letter to his fellow South Carolinians in October 2001, however, Campbell announced he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, writing, "One of my most cherished blessings was the honor of serving you in the State Legislature, Congress, and the Governor's Office. I want to thank you, the people of South Carolina, for all that you have meant to my family and me." (The State, October 5, 2001). He retired from ACLI in late 2001.
Campbell died on December 7, 2005. After lying in state at the State House, he was eulogized at memorial services at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Columbia and All Saints Episcopal Church in Pawleys Island, where he was buried. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said about the passing of Campbell: "South Carolina has lost one of her favorite sons. Governor Campbell reshaped South Carolina politics and was a trailblazer on many fronts...When Carroll Campbell spoke, people throughout the nation listened." (WIS News, December 8, 2005)
112.3 Cubic Feet
English
The Carroll Campbell papers document the period 1978-1986 when Campbell served in the U.S. House of Representatives for the Fourth Congressional District (Greenville, Spartanburg, and Union Counties). The bulk of the collection consists of the correspondence files.
Carroll Campbell donated these papers in 1986.
Prior to 2008, the bulk of the Carroll Campbell Papers had not been processed, and therefore, were not available for research. Only some Clippings, Media, Photographs, and Speeches files, which had been processed at Clemson, were processed and available. The register for these files was prepared by Paul Peterson and Michael Kohl in 1987-1988.
In 2008, South Carolina Political Collections at the University of South Carolina had the time and the resources, and graciously offered to process the bulk of this collection so it could be made available. Topical files now comprise the bulk of the Carroll Campbell Papers, which also include Administrative, Personal, Speeches, Audio-visual, and Clippings files.
The conversion of this finding aid to Encoded Archival Description format was made possible with a grant from the South Carolina State Historical Records Advisory Board in 2009-2010. The finding aid was prepared for encoding by Virengia Houston.
Part of the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Repository