Ralph Campbell Sr.

Ralph Campbell Sr. (1915 – May 15, 1983) was an American postal worker and civil rights activist and organizer active in Raleigh, North Carolina. His wife June was also influential. He worked for the post office. Their son Ralph Campbell Jr. continued their work and was elected state auditor. Another son, Bill Campbell, served as mayor of Atlanta. Early life Ralph Campbell was born in 1915. He served in World War II and in the Korean War. Afterwards, he secured a job with the U.S. Postal Service. He married June Elizabeth Kay on January 1, 1946. They had four children: Ralph Jr., Mildred, Bill, and Eddie. Career Campbell served as president of the Raleigh Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from December 18, 1960 until February 21, 1965. In 1960, Campbell and his wife petitioned the Raleigh School Board to allow their son Bill to attend the all-white Murphey Elementary Schools and for Ralph Jr. and Mildred to attend the all-white Morson Junior High School for the 1960–1961 school year. The board allowed Bill to be transferred—and thus become the first black student to attend an all-white public school in the city—but denied the applications for Ralph Jr. and Mildred, citing overcrowding at Morson. While pleased with the decision to allow Bill to attend Murphey, Campbell expressed his frustration to the school board that his other children's applications were denied, saying, "To assign a child at any time to a segregated school is in violation of the constitution and the Supreme Court decision of 1954." As a result of their push for their child to enroll in a white school, the Campbells faced death threats and briefly lived with relatives to ensure their safety. As Campbell was unable to leave his job at the post office, his wife June escorted Bill to Murphey Elementary on his first day of schooling there.