Celebrating Ben Nighthorse Campbell
All Photography Courtesy of Sorrel Sky Gallery
Most Coloradans know Ben Nighthorse Campbell for his long-tenured political career. He served in the Colorado State Legislature (D) in , the U.S. House of Representatives (D) in , and in the U.S. Senate (D) in After changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in , he continued to serve until his retirement in Nighthorse Campbell is credited with playing a significant role in opening the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.
Ben Nighthorse Campbell was born in to a Cheyenne father and a Portuguese mother. His early years were spent in Catholic orphanages and working the agricultural fields. It was there that he was introduced to judo by Japanese immigrants. In , he joined the U.S. Air Force. He served in the Korean War and rose in rank to airman second class while completing his secondary education. His dedication to judo led to training at Meiji University. He joined the U.S. Judo team and competed in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Later, he returned to California and continued to coach the team while teaching high school Physical Educati
Ben Nighthorse Campbell
In , Ben Nighthorse Campbell, a rancher, teacher, judo champion, and jewelry designer became the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Senate in more than 60 years.
Campbell was born April 13, , in Auburn, California, the son of Albert Valdez Campbell, who was part Northern Cheyenne Indian, and Mary Vierra, a Portuguese immigrant. His mother was a patient and occasional employee at a tuberculosis sanitorium when she met his father, who also worked there. They were married in and had two children, Campbell and his sister, Alberta Campbell, who died at the age of 44, an apparent suicide.
Campbell's father was an alcoholic who frequently disappeared, leaving Campbell's mother to support and care for the children. Campbell and his sister spent time in orphanages and foster homes when their mother was too sick to work and provide for them. Eventually, his father was able to work and the family opened a small grocery store, which prospered later when a freeway was built with an exit ramp at the location of the store.
When Campbell entered high school he had little sense of enthusiasm or direction concerning his education. In , he dropped out and joined
Ben Nighthorse Campbell: An American Warrior
Viola&#;s examination of the life of Colorado senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, the only Native American now serving in Congress, is a biography of a politician, but it is not primarily a political biography. Only approximately one-third of the book is devoted to Campbell&#;s political career, and it is the most superficial and least interesting portion. However, Campbell is a man of diverse passions and vocations. Prior to entering politics Campbell was, among other things, an Olympic athlete (judo), martial arts instructor, horse breeder, jewelry designer, police officer, and industrial arts teacher. The author&#;s discussion of these other activities reveals Campbell to be one of the more fascinating figures on the current political scene and an exception to the trend toward career politicians in the United States. A worthwhile public library purchase by series editor Viola, a historian with the Smithsonian Institute.
&#; Thomas H. Ferrell, Univ. of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette
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On April 13, , Ben nighthorse was born
Benny Campbell was born in Auburn, California, the son of a Portuguese immigrant mother and a father of Northern Cheyenne descent. He dropped out of high school in and joined the air force where he served in the Korean War ( in which he earned the Korean Service Air Medals)
after getting his GED, he attended San Jose State University in and earned a B. A In Physical Education and Fine Arts. after I took the middle name nighthorse as a reflection of his fathers descent
in he ran for state rep on the Democratic side and won for 2 years but then when he got out he ran again as a Republican then he quit in he is known as the first Native American in Congress
Most of his bills were to help native americans
today he still makes jewelry using navive amrecan terdisoins
he was a judo master he went to us olympics before college
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