Founding: On August 01, 1929 the "Clan Campbell Association of America" received its first member and was formally organized on December 15, 1929. The National President was the remarkable Mrs. Mary Latham Norton of San Francisco, CA. The annual membership subscription in the Association was $1.00 per year, later raised to $2.00. The official publication of the Association was The Highlander. As far as can be determined, only two issues were published -- Issue No. 1 on December 01, 1930, and Issue No. 2 was printed as "THE HIGHLANDER, 1937-'39, NO. 2. [Oakland, Cal., Clan Campbell Association of America, c1942.]". Which explains some confusion on the time line. Mrs. Norton also served as the National Chair of the fund-raising effort for the "Campbell Memorial Belfry Tower" that was being built in Inveraray, Argyll, Scotland, by Niall Campbell, 10th Duke of Argyll and Chief of Clan Campbell. She was appointed to that post by the 10th Duke of Argyll in 1927. While the Belfry topped out in April 1931, the project was still in debt as late as June 1937. In its hey-day, the Association had about 200 members, which was a good-sized organization for its time. Given the economic conditions of the Great Depression, the Clan Campbell Association of America did an amazing job raising approximately a quarter of the funds to help pay for the £21,750 (approx. $2,293,355 USD 2023) project. The Clan Campbell Association of America remained active until shortly after the end of World War II c.1947. For the next twenty-five years there was no active national Clan Campbell organization in the United States. However, several early members of the Clan Campbell Society (USA) were past members of the Clan Campbell Association of America, and knew Mrs. Norton well and spoke most highly of her.
Rebirth: The Clan Campbell Society as we know it today was conceived July 8, 1972 at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games by the late J. Boylston Campbell (Malvern, PA), the late Judge Hugh Brown Campbell (Charlotte, NC) and the late Dr. Bobby Blackburn Thompson, Ph.D. (Athens, GA). These men became the founding officers (President, Vice-President and Secretary/Treasurer) of "The Clan Campbell Society (USA)" the following July 7, 1973 at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games (GMHG).
Support from the Chief: In January 1974, the "Clan Campbell Society of the United States" was created in New York City at the request of our then Clan Chief, Mac Cailein Mòr, Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll, and headed by the Chief's sister, Lady Jeanne Louise Campbell, who then resided in New York City. Lady Jean was appointed by her brother to serve as the Society's High Commissioner, i.e., personal representative of the Clan Chief. The two organizations discovered each other and decided to join together as one: "The Clan Campbell Society, United States of America". This merger was completed at the Stone Mountain Highland Games, GA, October 19, 1974. The Society at that time was an unincorporated organization.
In May 1977, the Society was incorporated in Colorado as "The Clan Campbell Society (United States of America)" with Lady Jeanne Louise Campbell remaining as the High Commissioner. The initial elected officers were: Judge Hugh Brown Campbell, President; Donald Draper Campbell (Arlington, VA), Secretary; John Edward Vickers-Smith (Fairfax, VA), Treasurer; and Trustees, James Harry Campbell (Virginia Beach, VA), Philip Douglas Thompson (Fairfax, VA) and Hugh Purfield Moore, Esq. (West Covena, CA). To better serve the Society's membership, the United States was divided into nine (later ten) regions with each region to be headed by a Regional Commissioner. In 1983 Hugh Purfield Moore was appointed Deputy High Commissioner of the Society by Mac Cailein Mòr. In 1988 Mac Cailein Mòr, His Grace Ian Campbell, 12the Duke of Argyll, appointed Hugh Moore as High Commissioner of the Society, a position he held until his death in 1991. In its infancy the Society membership consisted principally of Campbells who resided in the United States of America.
Expansion: For years, there had existed 'local' Clan Campbell societies in Canada (Toronto, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island to name a few); however, these `local' organizations had limited contact with each other. In hopes that a national Canadian organization would come to pass, Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll, Mac Cailein Mòr appointed Brigadier General Colin Alexander "Collie" Campbell, P.Eng, D.S.O., O.B.E., as High Commissioner for Canada in 1972. However, General Campbell died in 1978 before a national Canadian Campbell Society could come to fruition.
As time went on, the Canadian Campbells discovered the Society in the United States and quite a number joined the United States Society. As a recognition of the growing number of Canadian members in the Society, a new region was created to serve Canadian members. Then President "Clyde Bill" Campbell was instrumental in welcoming Canada and Canadians into the Clan Campbell Society (USA). Clyde Bill and his wife Paula traveled the length of Canada attending Highland Games, setting up Clan Campbell Society tents and signing up dozens of our Canadian Campbell kin for membership. Clyde Bill often told the story of how he and Paula "drove over 200,000 miles" during his term as president "visiting Games and kinfolk across the U.S. and Canada". In 1991 a committee of Canadian Society members petitioned the Executive Council to have the Society's name changed to the "Clan Campbell Society (North America)" to recognize the fact that the Society was serving the needs of Campbells residing in both the United States of America and Canada. The Board agreed and the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation were amended to affect the name change in September 1992. As of February 1994, the Society had grown to over 2,600 members of which over 200 members were from Canada making the CCS(NA) the largest Clan Campbell Society in Canada.
Growth: In the early 1980's the first of many Clan Campbell Society group trips to Scotland and Inveraray Castle were organized. These organized trips are still held every two to three years scheduled around the Inveraray Highland Games, historic Campbell sites in Argyll, Scotland and meetings with His Grace the Duke of Argyll with the latest being in 2022. Following the 1995 release of the films Braveheart and Rob Roy interest and membership in Scottish societies worldwide soared and membership in the Clan Campbell Society (North America) surpassed 3000 for the first time. As with the transitory nature of such things, membership eventually declined as the world focused on events such as 9-11 and the War on Terrorism. But the Clan Campbell Society endured.
Communication: In July 1974 the first issue of The Clan Campbell Society Newsletter under the stewardship of B. Blackburn Thompson, Ph.D. was published. In 1975 Charles Edward Campbell took over as newsletter editor. In 1977, the editorship was passed to the late James Lyle Campbell (Virginia Beach, VA). In 1978, the newsletter was renamed The Journal of The Clan Campbell Society (United States of America). Lyle Campbell remained Journal editor until 1986 when ill health required him to give up the post. Diarmid Alexander Campbell, Esq., served as Journal editor until 1999 and is now recognized as Editor Emeritus. In 1992 the Journal was renamed the Journal of the Clan Campbell Society (North America) to reflect the scope of the expanded organization. The 60-page Journal has continued its uninterrupted quarterly publication into the third decade of the 21st century. In 2010, David A. Stedman (now Journal Editor) started a monthly Clan Campbell Society eight page eNewsletter. It is one of many membership benefits and provides timely and colorful information to CCSNA members. Now in its 15th year the monthly eNewsletter is still going strong.
Education Foundation: The Clan Campbell Education Foundation was established in 1992 as the Clan Campbell Education Association and has received 501(c)(3) approval as a tax-exempt charitable corporation from the Internal Revenue Service. In 2003 the Clan Campbell Education Association was renamed the Clan Campbell Education Foundation to more closely align with it's mission, and legal status. The Clan Campbell Education Foundation has undertaken numerous projects since its formation. Chief among them is the commissioning and publication of a three volume “A History of the Clan Campbell” by the Late Capt. Alastair Lorne Campbell of Airds, a series of four video productions designed to open the door to the Clan Campbell and Campbell Sept heritage, an ongoing Scholarship Program, and the Friends of The Argyll Papers. In 2007 a generous endowment from the late James R. “Jim” Campbell of NY ensured the viability of the CCEF for years to come.
Clan Campbell Society Embraces Technology: In the early to mid-1990's Campbells were hosting Clan Campbell Society web pages on various "free-sites" that no longer exist on the web. Then in 1995, a team led by twice past president Col. Joseph McDowell Campbell, Jr., USAF (Ret.), the Clan Campbell Society (North America) became one of the first, if not THE FIRST, Scottish Clan Societies with a domain on the web at www.CCSNA.org. The CCSNA website content used for the first site was based on the extensive articles from the Journal of the Clan Campbell Society (North America) Special 20th Anniversary Edition 1992. The volume of information and scholarly written articles used on the website set the standard and design format for quality for years to come. This was a dramatic and bold embrace of cutting edge technology for an organization steeped in history and tradition going back over a thousand years, but perfectly in tune with Clan Campbell's heritage of leadership and taking every possible advantage to succeed.
Genealogy:Dr. Ruby G. Campbell, Ph.D., FSA Scot served as the Clan Campbell Society (NA) Genealogist for over 35 years (1987-2022), conducted extensive Clan Campbell genealogy research, assisted 400-500 Campbells per year tracing their family trees and Clan Campbell links, as well as editing the "Kith and Kin" section in the Journal. Thanks to her at present there are over 250,000 names in the Clan Campbell genealogy database including many Sept members. Dr. Ruby provided a bridge between centuries of genealogy research and modern database tools to record data. Her contributions to modern Clan Campbell genealogical research cannot be overstated nor over appreciated. All future Campbell genealogy research will be based on her lifework as the CCSNA Genealogist.
This information, along with material from the documents contained in the Society Library, is available through the Society Genealogist as a membership benefit to current members of the Clan Campbell Society (NA). Our new Society genealogist Jules Anderson, MSc, QG, FSA Scot starts with a tremendous legacy and has plans for new features on the horizon. Watch the Clan Campbell Genealogy Program page for updates.
Heraldry:Donald Draper Campbell, Esq., OStJ, FSA Scot is a founding member of the Clan Campbell Society of the United States. He served as the Society's first Secretary for some 13 plus years. On January 24, 1976, he was appointed Sennachie to the United States Society by Ian Campbell, 12th Duke of Argyll, Chief of Clan Campbell a post he has held for over 47 years. Donald has assisted dozens of Clan Campbell members in heraldry research and to obtain grants of Arms from the Lord Lyon King of Arms in Scotland. He has kept Clan Campbell in the forefront of Heraldry research and publications, while maintaining extensive contacts throughout North America and Scotland in the field of Heraldry. Donald has contributed extensive heraldry content and ancient maps from his private collection for use on the website. He has written and published a 92 page PDF book, Scottish Armory and Heraldry: A General Overview by Donald Draper Campbell, Esq., OStJ, FSA Scot that is available as a free download on the Clan Campbell Society website.
DNA Research: The Campbell DNA Project was launched in October 2002 as a companion tool to augment genealogical research and to provide clues for further research. DNA testing has proven to be an extremely powerful tool when combined with your genealogy research. Kevin D. Campbell is the founder of the Campbell DNA Project and has managed this project for over 20 years. During this time, he has worked tirelessly to grow the DNA project to almost 2000 male DNA members and over 600 autosomal members it is one of the largest DNA surname projects in the world. In this role, Kevin and his team work daily to answer questions, help people interpret their DNA results and spearhead research into deep Campbell DNA genetics. FamilyTreeDNA acknowledged Kevin’s work as a “Pioneer in Genetic Genealogy” at the 9th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy held in Houston, Texas, November 2013.
FaceBook: Jeffrey S. "Jeff" Campbell and Duncan Beaton have done an amazing job as the admin for our Clan Campbell page on Facebook. 2022 was an excellent year and our community continues to grow. As of the end of 2022 we have over 12,000 individuals on Facebook with over 10,000 that are active.
Website: Following a successful four years, working as a team with his wife, and now Membership Chair, Dora Seale, reorganizing and modernizing the Society’s membership management program, in 2004 C. Randell "Randy" Seale was appointed Internet and Technology Committee Chair. In the first year, he was able to increase the number of visitors to the Clan Campbell Society web site a hundredfold to over 30,000 visitors a month, and make the website the "Number One" search return for “Clan Campbell” on the Internet and it remains one of the top search returns today. In 2009 the Clan Campbell Society website moved into the top 1% of all websites in the world, in terms of web traffic. In 2013 the website was moved from its original HTML construction to a modern Content Management System allowing for enterprise level development and security. Continuing with a long-term IT business plan, starting with planning and development in 2017, to full deployment in 2019, saw the inclusion of a nonprofit oriented Association Management System (AMS) with features such as new member sign up, self-membership management, membership renewal options, and direct digital communication to the CCSNA website. These features proved to be invaluable in helping to expand membership during each of the 2020-2022 shutdown years of the Highland Games in North America (the primary membership source for all Scottish Clan Societies) due to the pandemic. And speaking of Highland Games, Mark Pelletier, Games Chairman & Calendar Coordinator maintains the most complete Scottish Highland Games Calendar in North America on the CCSNA site.
Autumn 2019 saw the introduction of Zoom meetings to the Clan Campbell Society (North America) and the Clan Campbell Education Foundation Boards as a tool to cut costs and increase communication. Both organizations were well prepared and experienced with virtual meetings months before the rest of the world was forced into a mad-dash adoption of them due to the COVID-19 outbreak and lock-downs. Since then, the 2020 and 2021 AGMs, an ever increasing number of Executive Council Meetings, along with numerous other committee meetings have been held virtually.
The Clan Campbell Society (North America) website now has hundreds of pages of Clan Campbell related content covering history, genealogy, heraldry, the Houses of Clan Campbell, the CCSNA and more. At the close of 2022, the Clan Campbell Society (North America) membership was at a 14 year high.
In early January 2023, CCSNA IT Chair Randy Seale used six different website domain registration data lookup tools, along with other resources, to conduct an examination of the domain creation dates of almost 300 known Scottish clan society websites and verified what had long been suspected. That the Clan Campbell Society website at www.CCSNA.org is the OLDEST SCOTTISH CLAN SOCIETY WEBSITE domain on the internet today.
MILESTONE EVENT: On October 19-23, 2023 in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, USA the Clan Campbell Society (North America) celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the CCSNA's reestablishment in 1972. In recognition of this milestone, the Clan Campbell Society established a new Honor with the Order of the Bog Myrtle as the "Hall of Fame" for lifetime of "Honor, Devotion, Heritage" and service to the Clan Campbell Society (North America). Fourteen (14) distinguished members were inducted into the Order from the 20,000+ members over the past 50 plus years. Nearly a hundred Clan Campbell Society members and guests from across North America and Scotland attended the induction ceremony. Many more visited the Clan Campbell Society tent at the Stone Mountain Highland Games over the celebration weekend. The Hon. Mike Mason, Mayor of Peachtree Corners, GA presented an Official Proclamation of the city, proclaiming that October 20, 2023 was “Clan Campbell Society (North America) Day.” This was presented to the Board of Trustees during the Executive meeting.
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