Ernest Campaigne

Ernest E. Campaigne died Sunday, May 5 at the Meadowood Health Pavilion in Bloomington. He was born in Chicago, IL on February 13, 1914 to Nellie and Herbert Campaigne. He and Jean White were married in Chicago on January 1, 1941. He is survived by Jean as well as a son, David of Bloomington, and two daughters: Claudia Campaigne Burrus (Tony) of Ft. Wayne, IN and Barbara Campaigne (Larry Boot) of Bloomington. He is also survived by four grandchildren: Barbara Koch of Columbus OH, Ron Buskirk II of Ft. Wayne, Gillian Overly of Bloomington IN, and Christian Campaigne of Mt. Pleasant, SC, and five great grandchildren. Professor Campaigne earned the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Northwestern University. In 1943 he came to Indiana University as Instructor in the Army Specialized Training Program after early teaching and research experience at Northwestern University Dental School, Bowdoin College, the M.D. Anderson Hospital for Cancer Research, and the Medical School of the University of Texas. His earliest teaching and research experiences in the environment of a dental school and a cancer hospital perhaps influenced his entire career, for Professor Campaigne combined his principal interest in organic chemistry with a search for new therapeutic agents. He became Professor of Chemistry in 1953. During his years at Indiana he taught courses in general chemistry, biochemistry, and organic chemistry, and has contributed to joint efforts in the teaching of pharmacology. He was constantly concerned with the quality of teaching by taking responsibility for the organization and reorganization of many courses, by authoring several textbooks of chemistry, by serving on the Committee on the Improvement of Teaching of the College of Arts and Sciences, by acting as Graduate Advisor of the Chemistry Department and as a member of the Chemistry Department's Policy Committee. He directed the dissertation research of nearly 60 Ph.D. students and 20 M.S. candidates. He followed the careers of his students with close and helpful interest. During his varied pedagogic activities, Professor Campaigne published more than 275 research papers, reviews, and books. Professor Campaigne had a busy professional life at the state, national, and international levels. He was an active member and often a chief administrative officer of numerous scientific and professional societies, where his extremely effective organizational skills were widely recognized. He devoted years of service to the American Chemical Society, beginning with the Southern Indiana Section, as Chairman and Circuit Lecturer and later as a national Councilor. This activity led him to a series of increasingly responsible administrative positions, including that of Chairman, with the Division of Medicinal Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. From these national activities he became Chairman of the newly created Section on Medicinal Chemistry, Division of Organic Chemistry, of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Dr. Campaigne was the holder of fifteen commercial patents including the commercially successful antihistamine, Thenfadil. Since retirement in 1979, he has been active in the Indiana Academy of Science serving as president in 1986, the University Club, the Indiana University Retirement Community, and the I.U. Annuitants Association. He served on the Board of Science Advisors, American Council on Science and Health since its inception in 1979, and was elected to the honorary Indiana Academy in 1988. On a University level, Professor Campaigne twice served as President of the Men's Faculty Club, as a member of the University Athletics Committee, and a member of the initial University Patent Policy Committee. He was awarded the Indiana University President's Medal for Excellence in Teaching and Research by President Thomas Erlich, and The I.U. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry is named for him and his long-time colleague, Marvin Carmack. He was the longest holder of I.U. faculty/staff season football tickets beginning long before records of such things were kept. Professor Campaigne's wide circle of former students, faculty and professional colleagues found in him a generous source of wise advice, encouragement, and unfailing good humor. There will be a private burial and a public memorial celebration at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to IU Foundation, PO Box 500, Bloomington, IN 47402, Ernest E. Campaigne Lectureship/P37AS06163. Allen Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Friends can send condolences to www.allenfuneralhome.org

Tributes

Ernest Campaigne

February 13, 1914 - May 5, 2013