JEFFREY CAMPBELL (1910-1984)

Poet, essayist, lifelong teacher, Universalist minister, St. Lawrence University’s first African-American graduate of both the undergraduate program in 1933 and the School of Theology in 1935, Jeffrey Worthington Campbell’s life is an inspiration to us all. Campbell’s legacy was honored in 2021 with the dedication of 16 Hillside Road as the Jeffrey Campbell House.

“Spirit such as St. Lawrence stands in need of, cannot be forced; it must be inspired,” stated Campbell in a 1932 article in The Laurentian. And inspire he did. He participated in multiple extracurricular activities. As a writer and editor for numerous campus publications, he shared his voice in The Hill News, The Laurentian, Scarlet Saint, and The Gridiron. He was president of the Student Union as well as a member of the Glee Club, men’s debate team, and the Saints track and field team. Campbell was also inducted into Pi Delta Epsilon and Tau Kappa Alpha honor societies for journalism and public speaking respectively.

As the Great Depression ended, Jeffrey Campbell graduated from St. Lawrence, and his career in social justice was just beginning. Campbell briefly served as an executive member of the American Student Union and organized the first-ever student-led anti-war demonstration, but racial inequities of the United States in the 1930s and ’40s crippled his professional pursuits.

In 1939, Campbell secured a fellowship to study theology in England from a peace organization. In England, remained as a conscientious objector throughout World War II.

Once abroad, he continued his studies at the London School of Economics until eventually finding a position tutoring American history and literature at the University of Cambridge for four years. He spent another four years at the University of Oxford before ultimately returning to the United States in 1951. He traveled back to the U.S. on a cattle boat and upon his return, hitchhiked his way to Putney, Vermont. There, he found a career teaching literature at the Putney School, a progressive private high school. He taught there for 31 years until retiring in 1981.

WORKS OF ART FEATURED AT THE CAMPBELL HOUSE:

Nathan Farb

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Nathan Farb ABOUT THE ARTIST American photographer and conservationist Nathan Farb grew up in the village of Lake Placid, New York, nestled in the Adirondack Mountains, where he would find inspiration for years to come. Throughout the years, Farb has used large format film cameras, and, more recently, newer technologies, to capture…

Charlie Reinertsen

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Charlie Reinertsen ABOUT THE NORTHERN PEATLANDS PROJECT Nestled in the heart of Adirondack Park there are vast swaths of sphagnum moss stretching across the horizon. Ancient black spruce trees and fields of sedges pepper a dense blanket of green, red, and gold moss. This spongy riot of color and texture conceals another…

Itee Pootoogook

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Itee Pootoogook ABOUT THE ARTIST Itee Pootoogook was a Canadian Inuit artist renowned for his distinct style that blended traditional Inuit themes with contemporary elements. Born in Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut, Pootoogook was part of a thriving art community that emerged from the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative. His work often depicted everyday…

Shepard Fairey Facing the Giant

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Shepard Fairey ABOUT THE STICKER SET Shepard Fairey is a renowned American street artist, graphic designer, activist, and founder of the “OBEY” brand. Born in 1970, Fairey first gained recognition in the late 1980s through his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign, which later evolved into the “OBEY Giant” series….

Shepard Fairey Make Art, Not War

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Shepard Fairey ABOUT THE PRINT Shepard Fairey is a renowned American street artist, graphic designer, activist, and founder of the “OBEY” brand. Born in 1970, Fairey first gained recognition in the late 1980s through his “Andre the Giant Has a Posse” sticker campaign, which later evolved into the “OBEY Giant” series. His…

Kehinde Wiley

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Kehinde Wiley ABOUT THE SKATE DECKS In 2008, Kehinde Wiley painted Christian Martyr Tarcisius, a large canvas of the same title, which sold at Phillips Auction House in London in 2024. “Since 2001, Wiley has reconsidered historical sculptural and pictorial form through his portraits, challenging and expanding the narrower traditions of the…

Alexander Young (A.Y.) Jackson

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Alexander Young (A.Y.) Jackson ABOUT THE PAINTING A.Y. Jackson was a central figure in the development of Canadian landscape painting and a founding member of the influential Group of Seven. Born in Montreal in 1882, Jackson initially worked as a commercial artist before pursuing formal training in Paris. There, he studied at…

Marjorie Kaniehtonkie Skidders

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Marjorie Kaniehtonkie Skidders ARTIST’S STATEMENT Sometimes I’ll see a random moment taking place, and I’ll visualize how I would like to save it. It sounds kind of like power raking — as if I can save a moment forever. But I can come close by taking a photograph, trying to capture more…

Sarah J. Jurewicz

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Sarah J. Jurewicz ARTIST’S STATEMENT This piece is from a body of work that was influenced by the human spirit and desire to compete. Through the emphasis of color, shape and texture within focused compositions, I examine how to make a competitive athlete’s emotions tangible.  This work strives to simplify the human form…

Terry Schmitter

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Terry Schmitter ABOUT THE ARTIST Terry Schmitter is an Ohio sculptor and musician who works in various media, from stone and wood to concrete, canvas, and glass. Frequently, he selects wood found on his rural property, as he is continually inspired by the landscape that surrounds his home and studio. He enjoys…

Terry Schmitter

JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE Terry Schmitter ABOUT THE ARTIST Terry Schmitter is an Ohio sculptor and musician who works in various media, from stone and wood to concrete, canvas, and glass. Frequently, he selects wood found on his rural property, as he is continually inspired by the landscape that surrounds his home and studio. He enjoys…

Works of art from the collection are regularly utilized for exhibition, classroom, and research purposes. Students actively participate in all aspects of collection management, learning museum standards of art handling and registration, assisting with the installation of exhibitions and campus displays, as well as conducting research for curatorial purposes and educational programs. Tours of the collection storage facility and works of art are provided regularly to St. Lawrence University classes and regional school groups.

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THE JEFFREY CAMPBELL HOUSE