J. R. Campbell (born July 9, 1918 – January 11, 1990), nicknamed Doc, was an American attorney in the state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. He was the 82nd justice of the

Oregon Supreme Court The Oregon Supreme Court (OSC) is the highest State court (United States), state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States.

and served on the

Oregon Court of Appeals The Oregon Court of Appeals is the state intermediate appellate court in the US state of Oregon. Part of the Oregon Judicial Department, it has thirteen judges and is located in Salem. Except for death penalty cases, which are reserved to the O ...

. The Navy veteran from

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

also worked as a circuit court judge in Oregon.

Early life

On July 9, 1918, J. R. Campbell was born to Claude W. Campbell and Maude M. Campbell in Carpenter Creek,

Musselshell County, Montana Musselshell County is a county in south-central Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,730. Its county seat is Roundup. History Musselshell County was created in 1911 by Montana Governor Edwin L. Norris. The area was taken f ...

. After receiving his primary education in Eastern Montana he moved to

Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...

, where he attended

Willamette University Willamette University is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college with locations in Salem, Oregon, Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1940. Campbell then went on to law school at

Willamette University College of Law The Willamette University School of Law (previously known as the Willamette University College of Law) is the Law school in the United States, law school of Willamette University. Located in Salem, Oregon, Salem, Oregon, and founded in 1883, Wil ...

where he graduated with his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

in 1942. He was then admitted to both the Montana and Oregon bars. With

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in progress he joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

after law school. Serving in the Navy from 1942 until 1945, Campbell spent two years in the Pacific Theater.

Legal career

After returning from the war, Campbell returned to Oregon and began legal practice in

Eastern Oregon Eastern Oregon is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity; thus, the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost countie ...

’s

Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...

until 1965. That year he was appointed to Oregon’s 11th Judicial District for the circuit court, and subsequently won election to the post in 1966. Campbell won re-election in 1972 and 1978. On March 19, 1979, Campbell was appointed to the Oregon Court of Appeals by Governor

Victor G. Atiyeh Victor George Atiyeh (; February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 32nd governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was also the first elected governor of Middle Eastern descent and of Syrian descent in the U ...

to replace Lee Johnson who resigned.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Oregon Court of Appeals Judges.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008.Oregon State Archives: Governor's Records Guides.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008. Campbell won a full six-year term later that year and then resigned from the court on November 30, 1980. He resigned to join the Oregon Supreme Court when Governor Atiyeh appointed him to replace Edward H. Howell on December 1, 1980.Oregon Blue Book: Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Supreme Court Justices of Oregon.
Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on January 25, 2008. While on the court, Campbell was known as the quietest justice during oral arguments.Leeson, Fred. New faces on court could change trends in law. ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'', October 25, 1987. Campbell won election to a full term in 1982 and resigned at the end of his term on December 31, 1988 after not seeking re-election.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Campbell, J. R. 1918 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers Justices of the Oregon Supreme Court Oregon Court of Appeals judges Oregon state court judges People from Musselshell County, Montana Willamette University alumni Willamette University College of Law alumni