Pat Campbell

Pat Campbell was born August 19, 1897, in Lexington, Kentucky. Legally named William Reynolds Campbell, he attended Lexington High School before enrolling at the University of Kentucky. Campbell quickly became a familiar figure in campus life, initially studying mechanical and electrical engineering before ultimately completing his work in geology. He also proved to be a versatile athlete, competing for Kentucky in both basketball and tennis.

Campbell earned his place with the Wildcats after emerging from a crowded field of candidates during the 1916–17 season. A forward, he gradually worked from reserve duty into the starting lineup and earned a varsity letter as a freshman; the Kentucky Alumnus wrote that he showed promise of becoming a great player with experience. Entering 1917–18 as Kentucky’s lone returning regular and only returning letterman, Campbell left the selection of captain to the athletic committee rather than effectively voting for himself, and the committee chose him unanimously. The Kentuckian later credited Campbell with quickly rounding a largely rebuilt team into form, while the Kentucky Kernel remembered the captain as a competitor who was always “there” and “in every scrap the Wildcats entered.” He finished his Kentucky career with two varsity letters, 18 games played and 67 points.

One of Campbell’s best documented performances came in February 1917, when Kentucky avenged an earlier loss to Georgetown with a 32–18 victory in Lexington. Campbell made five field goals for a game-high 10 points, with the Kernel noting that his shooting helped swell Kentucky’s advantage. A year later, as captain, he helped lead a successful Wildcat team highlighted by victories over Georgetown, Centre, Cumberland and Tennessee. Campbell’s athletic accomplishments extended to tennis, where he became one of Kentucky’s experienced varsity players and later won a doubles championship. He also served as a student member of the Athletic Association Committee and, after his playing days, as secretary-treasurer of the university’s “K” Association for letter winners.

Campbell’s college years were interrupted by World War I, during which he was commissioned a second lieutenant in heavy artillery at Fortress Monroe, Virginia. He returned to Kentucky after his military service, completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in geology in 1920, and held several campus leadership roles, including president of the Marconi Engineering Society, the Shaler Geological Society and the Pan-Hellenic Council. He later worked in South Carolina before returning to Lexington in ill health. Campbell died November 6, 1922, after a long illness, only 25 years old.