William James Campbell

William James Campbell was born on December 12, 1850, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, John and Mary, immigrated from northern Ireland. When Campbell was a child, they moved to Cook County, Illinois. He attended public school in Bloom Township then matriculated at Lake Forest University. later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, then was accepted at the Union Law School in Chicago, Illinois.[1] Campbell studied law under William C. Goudy for two years, then was admitted to the bar. He practiced alone for two years, then formed the partnership of Campbell & Custer.[2]

Campbell was elected to the Illinois Senate and served four two-year terms from 1878 to 1886. He was named president pro tempore in 1880, the first to hold the office, serving under John Marshall Hamilton. When Hamilton became Governor of Illinois in 1883, Campbell position made him the Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. He returned to the Senate when Hamilton's term expired, continuing to serve as president pro tempore.[1] He became a close friend of John Riley Tanner in the Senate and the two often collaborated on political projects.[2]

After his years in the senate, Campbell returned to Campbell & Custer in the Rookery Building in Chicago. He represented several large industries there, including Armour and Company. He joined the Republican National Committee in 1891, succeeding George R. Davis. He elected its chairman in 1892, but quickly resigned the office.[3] Campbell was a trustee of the Armour Institute of Technology and was a member of the Chicago and Union League Clubs.[1] He died in Riverside, Illinois on March 4, 1896, after an illness.[2]