SPRING 2019
epilogue
THE PATRIARCH: Professor Emeritus Donald Campbell by Blair Talcott ’91 with contributions from Erin Kelly Ernst ’91, Carla Gordon Russell ’90, Greta Sanborn Shepard ’90 and Rachel Urban Tassone ’91
I
have a memory of a crisp morning, the light filtering through the painted trees of a northern New England fall. There were butterflies in my stomach as I awoke for my first day of classes at Colby-Sawyer, and I could barely eat breakfast in the dining hall before making my way to the Sawyer Center. I flew down the spiral staircase for my 8 a.m. studio ceramics class with Professor Donald Campbell.
I don’t remember many other details of that day, except the speed at which I grew comfortable in my new environment and the excitement of that first lesson at the pottery wheel. On that day, my college career began with a lump of clay and a professor who understood the anxieties of a first-year student. Little did I know it was the beginning of a friendship that would span nearly three decades. Donald and his wife, Adrienne, had an unshakable bond and were partners in every sense of the word during their 57-year marriage. They were active community members, and I’d often see them driving around town in their yellow Pinto with its distinctive AC/DC license plates. In addition to his role as a college professor, Donald was a ceramicist and author; Adrienne was an illustrator, calligrapher and photographer. They were also historians, musicians and world travelers. Together, their accomplishments rivaled those of internationally known professionals, yet their humility was their defining characteristic.
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COLBY-SAWYER MAGAZINE
IN MEMORIAM Professor Emeritus Donald Campbell Donald Campbell, 90, resident of Elkins, N.H., passed away there Dec. 16. He was a Colby-Sawyer faculty member from 1960 to 1990, teaching studio courses in ceramics, design and drawing, and art history. He also served as Fine and Performing Arts Department chair. Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., Donald loved to draw as a child and discovered ceramics at Indiana University, where he earned a bachelor of arts and master of teaching degrees. He went on to Tulane University, where he earned a master of fine arts in ceramics and art history.
above: The Campbells with alumni at a 2005 dinner. opposite: Professor Campbell in Paris in 1990.
The Campbells hosted frequent dinner parties complete with entertaining slide shows of their most recent travels, stimulating conversations with wonderful friends, Adrienne’s unforgettable food and delicious wine. Their son, Ian; extended family; friends and students were always a priority, and their doors were always, always open. I had the incredible good fortune to take part in a studyabroad program, joining Donald, Adrienne and five classmates on a trip to Paris. We studied famous artists and the language, ate the fabulous cuisine, and immersed ourselves in the culture. As our tour guides and host parents, Donald and Adrienne introduced us to every corner of the city. Their local knowledge and warm hospitality made us feel at home in a foreign country. We were a family in Paris, and that feeling remained long after we returned home. Those of us who knew Donald will remember him as a wise mentor, trusted advisor, tough critic, staunch advocate and devoted friend. His and Adrienne’s gifts of friendship, guidance and support are treasured by many and recognized as a hallmark of our liberal arts education. ® Blair Talcott ’91 holds a B.S. from Colby-Sawyer and an M.Ed. from Lesley University. She lives in New York City and is a public relations, event and design consultant.
After completing his academic studies and a stint in the Army, Donald arrived at Colby Junior College for Women in 1960 just after the Sawyer Fine and Performing Arts Center was completed. He designed the college’s first ceramics studio and created its ceramics program. Sabbaticals in Denmark, the Netherlands and France enabled Donald and his family to travel, pursue ideas and develop artistic skills. After retiring in 1990, Donald and his wife Adrienne, an extremely talented artist in her own right who passed away in 2017, continued their travels and artistic studies in China, Europe and the United States. Donald exhibited around the U.S. and in the Netherlands. He won several awards for his ceramics, and his work resides in the permanent collection of the Currier Gallery in Manchester, N.H., and the Boymans Van Beuningen Museum of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. He also taught at the University of New Hampshire, New England College, Tulane University, Murray State University and the Worcester Craft Center. Donald is survived by his only son, Ian, and his granddaughter, Jada, who reside in California. SPRING 2019
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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT 724
Office of Advancement 541 Main Street New London, NH 03257 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Homecoming 2019 october 4 – 6
For more information, contact alumni@colby-sawyer.edu or 603.526.3426, or visit colby-sawyer.edu/homecoming. SPRING 2019
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