William Campbell, former USGA president, dies at 90
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – William Campbell, a former U.S. Amateur champion who played on eight Walker Cup teams and served two years as president of the U.S. Golf Association, has died. He was 90.
The USGA and the West Virginia Golf Association said Campbell died Friday at his home in Lewisburg, W.Va. Known to many as “Mr. Campbell,” he won the West Virginia Amateur a record 15 times between 1949 and 1975.
Campbell was president of the USGA from 1982-83 and served on its executive committee for 10 years. In 1987, he became only the third American to be elected captain of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club in St. Andrews, and the only man to have led both of golf’s governing bodies.
Campbell served as an artillery officer in the Army during World War II, graduated Princeton in 1947 with a history degree and remained an amateur golfer his entire career.
He competed in the U.S. Amateur for 33 straight years, winning in 1964. He also won the U.S. Senior Amateur twice and the North & South Amateur four times.
He played on eight Walker Cup teams from 1951 to 1975, never losing a singles match and never playing on a losing team. He was the playing captain in 1955. As an amateur, Campbell had 14 appearances in the U.S. Open and 17 appearances in the Masters.
“Mr. Campbell was one of the game’s great champions and finest gentlemen,” USGA executive director Mike Davis said. “His contributions to amateur golf and to the USGA have been many and profound.”
He owned his own insurance company for more than 50 years. His family and civic and charitable events kept Campbell off the golfing circuits except for major events. He also served one term in the state House of Delegates in 1949-50.
In 1964, Campbell beat another West Virginia native, Ed Tutwiler, in the championship match of the U.S. Amateur. The pair dominated the state Amateur as the tournament’s only winners from 1948 to 1963. Campbell made his last appearance at the state Amateur in 1996.
Campbell was elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1990. A scholarship in his name is awarded annually by the West Virginia Golf Association.
He also is a member of the PGA Hall of Fame and the West Virginia Hall of Fame. In 1956, Campbell received the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award for Distinguished Sportsmanship.
Funeral arrangements were being made for Tuesday, but details were not available Saturday.