University of Michigan Law School - Quad Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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james valentine ampben Y ..,---5---E ---- -5' - ...-t.-:.i- 3' .,?hj-g? xU:. KJ-C, I I-, mm-. 1 1 IJ ig 1 Q PD: Ll'-L- -'-- 'Y -is-' MQ 8 -in tx: ,, ..v....,.K,. . 1 I , I 7 0 ,ii-2 Ain Q3 -il'- 5 4. 1, -1 cili-W? .Ei-at HAVE been asked-to speak bfieiiy of the life of Professor Campbell, who was for so many years one of the professors of the Law Depart- ment of the University, and who as one of its instructors made such a host of friends throughout the country. I comply, regret- ting that space is not at my service to do the subject greater justice, but desiring you to note as we proceed how uneventful may sometimes the most use- ful lives appear to be. I j 1 I james Valentine'Campbell was born at'Buffalo, in the State' of New York, in the year 1823, and three years later his father removed with him to the town of Detroit, then little more than a frontier trading village. I-Iis father had been a man of some prominence in Buffalo and he soon became such in Detroit, he was a communicant in the Episcopal Church, as his son became 'after him, and he sent his son to be educated at St. Paul's College, an Episcopal school on Long Island, where he graduated in 1841. In 1844 he was admitted to' the bar, having, read law in the man- ner customary at that time, in the ofhce of practicing attorneys. The firm were men of eminence, one of them became a justice of the Supreme Court under the Hrst judicial system of the state, and being relatedto his student by marriage, he gave him great assistance in his legal studies. 'The town contained many men of marked character and ability, judge Campbell had known these, and from association had taken much of their robust qualities, their tireless energy and their economic ways, his natural abilities and the care with which he had read his profession gave him early prominence. He was a speaker of remarkable readiness and of fine command of 8

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THOMAS M. COOLEY

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language, but he understood very well that this gift Was a quality young advocates were in danger of relying upon 'CO an CX'EC11'E that might prove misleading, and he was therefore accustomed to pre- pare when he was to appear in public as carefully and as thoroughly as if he had no such reliance. Such was the man as he appeared at the bar or in the professor's chair. . . . When the judicial system of the state was so changed in 1858 as to make the justices of the Supreme Court elective on general ticket, Mr. Campbell was one of the four selected by the almost spontaneous action of the people to compose the first independent Supreme Court. The other members were older, but he had rapidly attained a standing at the bar that made the choice of him- self seem altogether suitable and worthy. He possessed the quali- ties of mind and heart that pointed him out as eminently adapted to the judicial life, and the satisfaction at the choice was par- ticularly strong among the members of the bar, who had speedily come to know and appreciate his quickness of mind, his unusual logical powers, and a dominating sense of justice that was certain to bring to the discharge .of his duties his best ability, and his most patient and faithful application. . . A year after the new court was organized, when the Regents of the University decided to open a Law Department, they also turned with a like unanimity to Mr. Campbell, and invited him to become a member of the first Faculty. The Faculty, on his acceptance, made him its first Dean, and as it was understood he would perform the duties of bothjudge and teacher, it was thought proper that he be given the choice of topics in the school. But it was found that he had but one choice and that of a negative char- acter, so that this became unimportant. When his list was made out Equity jurisprudence stood at the head as his most prominent topic. He was probably more familiar with it than with any other, and could most readily make complete preparation for its discus- sion. He had superintended the publication of an excellent volume of chancery reports, and the office in which he had prac- ticed had given special attention to that line of jurisprudence, and was noted for its familiarity with its rules of procedure and plead- ings. But he also chose Criminal Law, which shows us how far he was from being narrow in his legal tastes, or in his preparation for dealing with the law in the new school.