[2] Upon graduating from high school, he became a licensed teacher, but left after one year to attend Ouachita Baptist College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

[citation needed] Later in the 1920s, Campbell began attending George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University, receiving a master's degree in 1928 and a Ph.D. in 1930, at which time he was hired onto the school's faculty.

He became dean of the graduate school at Peabody in 1938, and remained in that position until accepting the presidency of Florida State College for Women in September 1941.

[8] He was a sometime Sunday school teacher, and a frequent speaker before groups of religious leaders,[9] such as the West Florida Baptist Pastors Conference.

[8] During Campbell's presidency, Florida came under increasing pressure to integrate its university system after the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.

"[12] According to James Schnur, "Campbell exacted deference from the campus community, suppressed the liberal editorial policy of the semi-weekly Florida Flambeau newspaper, and refused to tolerate any breach of racial segregation.

[20][21] He expressed regret that Tallahassee Negroes seeking to end segregation were not meeting in juke joints, because it would have been easy to ban FSU students from them.

[10] Campbell retired from his position on June 30, 1957,[2][22][23][24] but remained in Tallahassee as president emeritus of Florida State until his death on March 23, 1973.

[11][12] FSU President John Thrasher asked Athletics Director David Coburn "to immediately review this issue and make recommendations to me.