James Edwin Campbell (July 7, 1843 – December 18, 1924) was an American attorney and Democratic politician from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He served in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from 1884 to 1889 and as the 38th

governor of Ohio A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

from 1890 to 1892.

Early life and education

Campbell was born in Middletown, Ohio, where he attended the public schools and then

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public research university in Oxford, Ohio. The university was founded in 1809, making it the second-oldest university in Ohio (behind Ohio University, founded in 1804) and the 10 ...

Civil War

He served in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

as a member of the Mississippi River Squadron during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. He was a master's mate on the gunboats ''Elk'' and ''Naiad'' until his health gave out and he returned home emaciated.

Early career

James Campbell was admitted to the bar in 1865 and began practicing law in

Hamilton, Ohio Hamilton is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Ohio, United States. Located north of Cincinnati, Hamilton is the second largest city in the Greater Cincinnati area and the 10th largest city in Ohio. The population was 63,399 at th ...

two years later. Campbell was married to Maud Elizabeth Owens of Hamilton, Ohio on January 4, 1870. They had four children. He was a Republican who voted for Lincoln and Grant for President, and after 1872 became a Democrat.

Congress

After serving as a prosecutor in Butler County, Ohio, from 1876 to 1880, Campbell was elected as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

to the

twice from

Ohio's 7th congressional district Ohio's 7th congressional district is represented by Bob Gibbs. It is currently located in the northeastern section of the state, including the city of Canton. It was redrawn in 2012, following the 2010 United States Census, and was previously ...

( Forty-eighth and Fiftieth Congresses) and once from the third district (

Forty-ninth Congress The 49th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1885, ...

), a seat once held by his uncle

Lewis D. Campbell Lewis Davis Campbell (August 9, 1811 – November 26, 1882) was an American politician as a U.S. Representative for Ohio. Over his political career he was elected as a Whig, Republican, Know Nothing, and Democrat. Early life Campbell was born ...

, serving from 1884 to 1889. In the 49th Congress, he was chairman of the House Committee on Alcoholic Liquor Traffic.

Governor

Campbell then was elected to the Ohio governorship, serving from 1890 to 1892. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1891, losing to future president

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

. During his term as governor, he signed a bill enacting the

Australian ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vote ...

in Ohio. He called a special session of the General Assembly to remove the corrupt government of the city of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. This action cost him the support of Democrats in that part of the state, and prevented his re-election. He was unsuccessful in a third run for governor in 1895.

Later career

Campbell was a trustee of the

Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...

1895–1896. Remaining politically active, Campbell was a delegate to the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

s in 1892, 1920, and 1924. He served on the commission to codify the State of Ohio laws from 1908 to 1911. Campbell was nominated for Congress in 1906, but lost, and was his party's choice for Senator in 1908, but was again defeated. In 1913, Campbell was appointed a trustee of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society, and he was elected unanimously by the Board of Trustees as president on September 25, 1918. He served as president until his death. He resumed the practice of law in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

after 1892. He was a Mason, a member of the order of the Elks, the Columbus Club, the Scioto Country Club, the Presbyterian Church, the Grand Army of the Republic, the American Legion, and the Kit Kat Club of Columbus. Galbreath 1925 : 20

Death

James Edwin Campbell died in Columbus in 1924 and is interred in Green Lawn Cemetery.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, James E. 1843 births 1924 deaths American people of Scottish descent Democratic Party governors of Ohio Miami University alumni People from Middletown, Ohio Burials at Green Lawn Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio) County district attorneys in Ohio Ohio State University trustees Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War 19th-century American politicians