A Literary Legacy Founded at Grebel – Gordon Campbell (BA 1967)
Over the course of his life, Conrad Grebel University College alum Gordon Campbell has engaged in an abundance of scholarly dialogues and published extensively within the realm of English literature and beyond. His accolades and accomplishments are as impressive as they are numerous; he prepared and edited the version of the Bible on which King Charles swore his Coronation Oath, was named a member of more than a dozen prestigious fellowships, and was elected to the British Academy - the United Kingdom’s highest academic honor. However, Gordon wasn’t always as captivated by classic literature as he is today. In fact, he had never leisurely read a novel before attending university. Gordon’s journey can be traced to the connections he made in the Grebel residence in the fall of 1964, during the first year of the College’s existence.
“I arrived at Grebel on the bounce from the University of Toronto, where I had failed a math exam,” explained Gordon. “Rather than waste a year, I applied to Waterloo, and Grebel offered me a place.” Upon arriving at the Grebel residence, Gordon recalled the first encounter with his new roommate, Eric Friesen. “When I walked into our shared room, Eric was reading Steinbeck’s East of Eden,” he reminisced. “I asked if it was a text on his course, and he said no, he was reading it for pleasure.” At that point, reading was a necessity rather than a personal interest for the young scholar. However, after he was introduced to literature classics and biblical history by his Grebel peers, Gordon became enthralled. “Walter Klaassen was my introduction to the academic (as opposed to devotional) study of the Bible, and Roman Dubinski was my doorway into the world of Milton,” Gordon said, crediting his professors for inspiring him and his later works. “Roman gave me an encouragingly good mark for an essay on Milton, and 60 years later, I am still writing on each of those subjects.”
Gordon described Grebel as an immensely different world compared to today. “Issues such as gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights and climate change and the environment were not yet on the agenda,” he said. “At that time, we opposed the Vietnam War, and supported the civil rights movement, but all we did about such causes was sing about them.” While Gordon saw in retrospect that activism lay in the future for many Grebel students, those seeds of social justice were planted during his time at Grebel. Reminiscing, Gordon referred to himself and his friends as silly teenagers. “We rebelled in jejune ways against the rules that our elders were imposing on us.” he said. As time went on, Gordon saw his early relationships develop into deep bonds. "The most lasting legacy has been friendships, and in some cases, marriages.”
Gordon’s two primary areas of interest – Milton and the Bible – acted as guiding and grounding forces throughout his literary career. He was entered as a “dark horse” candidate for a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for his master's degree at Queen’s University. He was admitted, and afterwards attended the University of York in England on a Canada Council Scholarship for his Doctorate in Philosophy. “After graduation, I couldn't find an academic job in Canada, but secured one in Denmark,” he said. “From there I went to the University of Liverpool, and then, in 1979, to Leicester, where I have remained.”
Over the next 30 years, Gordon wrote or edited 29 books (in 34 volumes), edited several journals, served as a general editor for several series including the 13-volume Oxford Complete Works of John Milton, wrote more than 100 articles and chapters, and contributed more than 2000 entries to reference books. He was awarded the Longman History Today Trustees Award for his lifetime contribution to History and the Honored Scholar of the Milton Society of America award for his continued contributions to the field.
Perhaps Gordon’s most notable achievement is his work editing the 400th Anniversary Edition of the King James Bible, upon which King Charles III swore his Coronation Oath. Gordon aimed to retain the authenticity of the original work, choosing to keep the original’s typographical mistakes to ensure its standing as a faithful version of the first edition.
While Gordon’s scholarship is notable and impressive, his international work also positively influenced people around the world. “Those who by choice choose not to travel to countries off the tourist radar can luxuriate in personal purity,” he remarked. “I choose to get my hands dirty.” Gordon travelled to Saudi Arabia to help negotiate a joint PhD program for women, a mission that he received some negative reception for pursuing. Still, Gordon persevered through this adversity and accomplished his goals, affording many Saudi women an otherwise impossible opportunity to pursue higher education. In Eastern and Central Europe, Gordon created a book scheme which sent 6000 new books to 15 libraries in six countries; he assisted Aligarh Muslim University in India in examining a total of 85 PhDs; in Iraq, Gordon met with the Prime Minister to assist in the reconstruction and development of the country’s universities. In short, Gordon’s contributions to the international academic community are inspiring and created a legacy of literary brilliance and opportunity.
Gordon retired in 2010 and was named Professor Emeritus at the University of Leicester and has retained an active scholarly lifestyle. “For the past eight years, I have had two unpaid posts: I am Chair of the Fabric Advisory Committee of Leicester Cathedral, and so have responsibility for stones and bones,” he said. Gordon is also the Vice-Chair of the Scientific Committee of Le Studium, one of France’s seven Institutes of Advanced Study, and worked as Lead Historian for the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC. Despite his innumerable academic achievements, Gordon considers the most fulfilling aspect of his life to be his now 57 years of happy marriage, his three children, and six grandchildren.
By Jiho Mercer
Photo: Gordon speaking at Grebel's 50th Anniversary Celebration Service
Gordon Campbell is a lifelong contributor to the world of English literature with expertise in John Milton and the history of the Bible. Over the course of his career, he has accumulated numerous awards, been granted more than a dozen academic fellowships, been elected to the British Academy, and edited the 400th Anniversary Edition of the King James Bible upon which King Charles III swore his oath. He lived at Grebel in 1964, the first year of the College’s existence. His greatest fulfillment comes from his long-lasting marriage, three children, and six grandchildren.
Gordon's story is part of Grebel's 60 Stories for 60 Years project. Check out our 60 Stories page for more articles in this series. If you would like to nominate a Grebel alumnus to share about their experiences at Grebel, please submit a nomination form.