In cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the family and friends of prominent Alaskan James O. Campbell have established a new scholarship fund to encourage young Alaskans to pursue careers in fish and wildlife.
Campbell died Jan. 2 after a family New Year's celebration in Anchorage. Born June 18, 1932, in South Dakota, he was 73.
Campbell's career in Alaska spanned more than four decades of leadership in business management, civic involvement and government service. As the first chairman of the Alaska Railroad Corp., from 1984-1988, Campbell guided the transfer of the railroad from federal to state ownership, leading it to profitability for the first time in its 43-year history.
He served as chairman of the federal-state North Pacific Fisheries Management Council from 1977-1986. He was also appointed by President George Bush to the Arctic Research Commission in 1992, bringing his diverse experience to the promotion of scientific research in fields that are contributing the knowledge of the Arctic environment.
Campbell first saw Alaska while he was stationed here as a sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1953-55. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 1957 and managed a retail yard for the Boise Cascade Corp. until 1959, when he returned to Alaska to manage Spenard Builders Supply (SBS), then a small retail store with four employees.
By the time he retired from SBS as president and CEO in 1985, he'd built the company into one of Alaska's largest, with 600 employees, 12 stores statewide, and sales of $170 million.
From 1991-1994, Campbell served as president and CEO of Alaska Commercial Co., building a team to lead 20 stores in 17 Bush communities. He served on numerous boards and committees, and received several notable awards throughout his lifetime.
In keeping with his commitment to youth and his lifelong interest in the management of Alaska's fish and wildlife, the family requests contributions to the Jim Campbell Memorial Scholarship Fund, through Wells Fargo Bank. The fund, managed in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, will provide scholarships for young Alaskans pursuing careers in fisheries or wildlife management.
