Beulah Catherine Campbell, M.A.

Professor Emerita of Elementary Education

Source: 1991. Howe, R.D. Editor. The Appalachian Faculty Emeriti. Used with permission.

Beulah Catherine Campbell (May 7, 1916-), retired college professor, was born in Campbellsville, KY, the daughter of Bertha Durham Campbell and Abraham Harding Campbell. She had two brothers, Omer Harding Campbell and Samuel Wray Campbell who are now deceased. Her grandparents were Samuel and Kizzie Harding Campbell and Samuel and Mary Catherine Durham.

She began college in 1935 at Campbellsville College and in 1937 transferred to Western Kentucky State University where she received an A.B. degree in elementary education in 1941. Meanwhile, she taught for six years in a one-room school in Taylor County, KY. She completed her M.A. degree in elementary education in 1944 at Western Kentucky State University. While doing graduate work, Ms Campbell taught fifth graders in the public schools in Clinton, TN.

In 1943, Campbell began work with the Appalachian State Teachers' College's (now Appalachian State University) Demonstration School, teaching third grade. She also taught college classes in elementary education in the summer school at the college from 1945-46. In 1947, Campbell became an assistant professor of elementary education at Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, where she served until 1957. During this time, she did additional graduate work in children's literature and reading at Colorado State College in Greeley, CO, for one summer and at George Peabody College (now affiliated with Vanderbilt University)in Nashville, TN for another summer. In 1954-55, she attended Teachers' College of Columbia University in New York City, where she studied children's literature and teacher education. During this year, she also supervised first-year teachers at East-Orange, NJ.

In 1957, Beulah Campbell began her career at Appalachian State University. While serving as a professor in the College of Learning and Human Development, she gained national recognition conducting children's literature conferences, festivals, and workshops for teachers and librarians. She also hosted study tours in the United States, the British Isles, and Scandinavia, where students met authors and illustrators of award-winning children's books. In 1959-60, her biographical sketch was included in Who's Who in American Education (page 223).

In 1964, Rebecca Caudill dedicated her book, Pocketful of Cricket to Campbell. Miriam Mason included her as the character "Miss Aberdeen," an elementary school teacher, in her book Katie Kittenheart.

Campbell was awarded grants from the Department of Education in Washington D.C., to conduct an institute in children's literature ($54,000 in 1965) and an institute in black literature for children ($20,000 in 1970) which was rated as one of the top ten institutes in the nation in 1970.

In a trip sponsored by the Ford Venture Program, Campbell went to England in 1974 to visit eight British illustrators who had won that country's Kate Greenaway Award. She purchased illustrations from the award-winning books of these artists for the collection at Appalachian. She credits Dr. Richard D. Howe for helping to fund her travel to England. Campbell received the trustees' award for outstanding teaching at Appalachian.

On September 23, 24, and 25, 1999, Campbell's personal collection was brought to the Children's Literature Symposium in Boone and exhibited at the Appalachian Cultural Museum.

Campbell's professional affiliations were with the North Carolina Education Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women teachers. In light of her many accomplishments and national renown, she was promoted to full professor in 1978, and in 1981, she was granted emerita status.

Although Campbell retired from teaching on June 11, 1981, she continued to serve Appalachian for two years in 1981-82, by collecting the original art work from children's books and preparing it for exhibit.