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Edgar C. Campbell Sr.

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Edgar Campbell
Chair of the Philadelphia Democratic Party
Acting
March 10, 1983 – April 14, 1983
Preceded byDavid Glancey
Succeeded byJoseph F. Smith
Member of the Philadelphia City Council At-Large
In office
January 1, 1968 – January 5, 1976
Succeeded byEarl Vann
Personal details
Born
Edgar Cuthbert Campbell

(1902-11-11)November 11, 1902
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 30, 1987(1987-09-30) (aged 84)
Philadelphia, Penn., U.S.
Political party
Spouse
Pearl B. Williams
(m. 1925; died 1974)
Children

Edgar Cuthbert Campbell Sr. (November 11, 1902 – September 30, 1987) was an American politician and civil servant in the city of Philadelphia, who served as a member of the city council from 1968 to 1976 and was, at the time of his death, labeled by many as the "dean" of the city's black political leaders. A native of Savannah, Georgia, he moved with his family to Philadelphia around 1920 and soon became involved in local politics. Like the majority of African American voters in that era, he was initially loyal to Republican Party, but he soon switched allegiances and became a Democrat. He worked his way up the party apparatus, culminating in a 1983 stint as acting chair of the city's Democratic committee.

Early life and family

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Childhood and move to Philadelphia

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Campbell was born on November 11, 1902, in Savannah, Georgia, his parents' only child.[1] His father, the foreman at a sawmill, lost half of his arm to a workplace accident, and later operated a grocery store.[2]

He attended First African Baptist Church with his mother.[3]

Marriage

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In 1923, Campbell met Pearl B. Williams, when the two were members of a wedding party together. Williams, the daughter of a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and Campbell married in 1925.[2] She died on September 3, 1974. The couple had two children, who both went on to be active in city politics: Carol Ann and Edgar Jr. (known as "Sonny").

Political career

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Later life and death

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Campbell died on September 30, 1987.[4][2][5]

References

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  1. ^ Campbell, Edgar C. (July 11, 1983). "Edgar Campbell's First Interview" (Interview). Interviewed by Charles Hardy. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History (published 2016).
  2. ^ a b c Infield, Tom (October 1, 1987). "Edgar C. Campbell Sr. dies at 84". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Vol. 317, no. 93. pp. 1A, 11A.
  3. ^ Campbell, Edgar C. (September 26, 1984). "Edgar Campbell's Second Interview". Goin' North: Tales of the Great Migration (Interview). Interviewed by Charles Hardy. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History (published 2016). Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  4. ^ "Edgar C. Campbell Sr". The New York Times. Vol. 137, no. 47281 (Late ed.) (published October 3, 1987). Associated Press. October 2, 1987. p. 33. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  5. ^ Johnson, Tyree (October 1, 1987). "Edgar C. Campbell dies at 84". Philadelphia Daily News. Vol. 63, no. 155. pp. 3, 26.
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