[1] He entered the Society of Jesus in 1939,[1] and began his studies at West Baden College, a Jesuit seminary in Indiana, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Latin in 1943,[2] and a Licentiate of Philosophy.

[2] Campbell followed the classical, Jesuit liberal arts curriculum at Loyola University Chicago and Woodstock College,[1][3] and was ordained a priest in 1951.

As a result, The Washington Post characterized him as a "new breed of Jesuit priest whose style might be described as Ivy League Catholic.

[5] On January 31, 1965, Campbell served as the homilist for the Archdiocese of Washington's Red Mass, which was attended by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, presidential aid Jack J. Valenti, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan and Speaker of the House John W.

He also secured an act of Congress to amend the charter, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1966.

[8] The Jesuit community at Georgetown was separately incorporated, and retained ownership of several historic buildings on campus.

[10] The offices of president of the university and rector of the Jesuit community were made separate and held by different people.

Designed by John Carl Warnecke,[15] ground was broken on Lauinger Library in 1968, and the building was completed in October 1971.

[17] Campbell began a fundraising drive to raise $26 million beginning in 1966, which would fund fellowships, scholarships, pay salaries, and build the new Georgetown University Law Center.

[18] In addition to governance reforms, Campbell encouraged new community service initiatives by Georgetown students throughout the District of Columbia.

[19] Facing deteriorating health and the increasing campus turmoil of the late 1960s, Campbell resigned the presidency in 1968.

Four years later,[1] he founded the Center of Jesuit Spirituality at Holy Trinity Church in the Georgetown neighborhood.

[1] His funeral was held in Holy Trinity Church,[21] and he was buried in the Jesuit Community Cemetery at Georgetown.