William James Campbell (December 12, 1850 – March 4, 1896) was an American attorney and politician in Illinois. From Pennsylvania, he came with his parents to southern Cook County, Illinois at a young age. Campbell attended public schools, then the University of Pennsylvania and the Union Law School. He co-founded Campbell & Custer, a prominent law firm that represented industries. He served in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state, State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adop ...

from 1878 to 1886, quickly rising to become its president. From 1883 to 1885, this made him acting Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. After his Senate experience, he returned to his law firm and was a member of the Republican National Committee.

Biography

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. 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. Campbell was elected to the

and served four two-year terms from 1878 to 1886. He was named

president pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

in 1880, the first to hold the office, serving under

John Marshall Hamilton John Marshall Hamilton (May 28, 1847 – September 22, 1905) was the 18th Governor of Illinois, serving from 1883 to 1885. Born in Union County, Ohio, Hamilton became interested in politics at a young age, joining the Wide Awakes when he ...

. 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. He became a close friend of

John Riley Tanner John Riley Tanner (April 4, 1844 – May 23, 1901) was the 21st Governor of Illinois, from 1897 until 1901. Tanner was the first governor in the country to be openly neutral in labor disputes, gaining national notoriety for his actions in a s ...

in the Senate and the two often collaborated on political projects. 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 George Davis may refer to: Entertainment *George Davis (actor) (1889–1965), Dutch-born American actor *George Davis (art director) (1914–1998), American art director * George Davis (author) (1939), American novelist *George Davis (editor) (190 ...

. He elected its chairman in 1892, but quickly resigned the office.CAMPBELL PICKS HIS NINE
/ref> Campbell was a trustee of the Armour Institute of Technology and was a member of the Chicago and Union League Clubs. He died in Riverside, Illinois on March 4, 1896, after an illness.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, William J. 1850 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American politicians American people of Scotch-Irish descent Businesspeople from Illinois Illinois lawyers Republican Party Illinois state senators Lake Forest College alumni Lieutenant Governors of Illinois Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni People from Riverside, Illinois Politicians from Philadelphia University of Pennsylvania alumni 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American lawyers