Ferrin Colin Campbell (September 1, 1923 – May 12, 2012) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He served as a Democratic member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

He also served as a member of the Florida Senate, representing the 39th district.

Life and career

Campbell was the son of Marie and Ernest Willie Campbell. He attended Laurel Hill School, where he graduated in 1941. After graduating, Campbell trained as a pilot before joining the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

in 1944. He served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and was honorably discharged as a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in 1946. Campbell attended

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

, graduating in 1948. He later moved to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, where he attended the

University of Florida Levin College of Law The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF Law) is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida, and second oldest overall ...

, graduating in 1950. Campbell was named the

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

of Okaloosa County, Florida, by Governor

Fuller Warren Fuller Warren (October 3, 1905September 23, 1973) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 30th governor of Florida. Early life and education Born in Blountstown, Florida, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesvil ...

. At the age of 26 he was the youngest

in the state. In 1951, Campbell was elected to the

. He succeeded James H. Wise. In 1955, Campbell was succeeded by

Charles D. Stewart Charles D. Stewart (1919 – 1986) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Florida House of Representatives. In 1955, Stewart was elected to the Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representat ...

. Eight years later, he was elected to represent the 39th district of the Florida Senate. Campbell was succeeded by Maurice McLaughlin in 1965. Campbell died in May 2012 in

Crestview, Florida Crestview is a city in Okaloosa County, Florida, United States. The population was 27,134 at the 2020 census, up from 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Okaloosa County. With an elevation of above sea level, it is one of the h ...

, at the age of 88.

References

1923 births 2012 deaths People from Crestview, Florida Democratic Party Florida state senators Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives 20th-century American legislators Auburn University alumni University of Florida alumni Florida sheriffs 20th-century Florida politicians {{Florida-politician-stub