The John S. Campbell Agricultural Scholarship Endowment was established in July to provide scholarships to undergraduate students in any traditional agricultural program in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It was created in honor of the late John Campbell, who served as an adjunct professor in the Department of Crop Science.

Born in London, England, in 1923, Campbell attended Reading and Cambridge Universities and did graduate work at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad, West Indies, and Harvard University. His passion for agriculture led to a demand for his services and publications throughout the world.

Campbell was until retirement vice president of Imperial Tobacco and served as chairman of the Tobacco Association of the United States, as well as director of the North Carolina Tobacco Foundation Inc. Among other civic activities, he was chairman of the Wilson Rotary Club, an organization that contributed to the endowment in Campbell’s memory.

During the signing ceremony hosted by College Dean James L. Oblinger, Campbell’s family was joined by Clay Hinnant, who will be the first to receive the scholarship. Hinnant, from Kenly, is a junior in agricultural business management.

Also in attendance were Lois Black, manuscript curator of the N.C. State University Libraries, and assistant Melissa Prycer, who will be working with the Campbell family to catalog 25 boxes of research, notes, publications and clippings from his academic work to create the John Campbell Collection in the library.

—Terri Leith