E.R. “Bo” Campbell, a star halfback for LSU’s great football teams of the early 1960s and later a major benefactor for the university, passed away on Saturday in his hometown of Shreveport.
A visitation will be held at Osborn Funeral Home in Shreveport on Friday, November 26, from 4 to 7 p.m. Funeral services to honor his life will be held at First United Methodist Church on Saturday, November 27 at 11 a. m. A private family interment will follow at Forest Park Cemetery. A reception will be held following the services at The Petroleum Club.
After graduating from Shreveport’s Byrd High School in 1959, Campbell accepted a football scholarship offer from LSU. He played under Coaches Paul Dietzel and Charles McClendon in the Tigers’ famed three-platoon system as a member of the first-string “White Team.”
Campbell excelled as a running back and contributed to many significant victories, including the 1962 Orange Bowl against Colorado and the 1963 Cotton Bowl against Texas. He also helped secure a win for his team in the 1963 North-South College All-Star Shrine Game in Baltimore, Md.
After graduating from LSU in 1963, Campbell declined offers to play in the NFL, and joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves, where he trained as a medic. He served for 10 years at military bases including Lackland in San Antonio, Texas, Gunter in Montgomery, Ala., and Barksdale in Bossier City, La. During that time, Campbell joined his father, Rupert Campbell Sr., at Pioneer Bank & Trust in Shreveport.
As a banker, Campbell presided over Pioneer Bank until 1995 when it was successfully merged with Hibernia Corporation. He was elected and served as Chairman of the Board at Hibernia until its merger with Capital One in 2005. Campbell went on to serve on the board at Capital One until his retirement.
Campbell served as a member of the LSU Board of Supervisors, the LSU Athletics Council and the Tiger Athletic Foundation Board of Directors. He was honored with the naming rights for The E.R. “Bo” Campbell Auditorium, located within the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes. The Campbell Auditorium is one of the most prominent places on the LSU campus, and it serves the entire university community.
Campbell was the first former LSU student-athlete to donate a major gift to LSU Athletics through the Tiger Athletic Foundation, In October, 2017, the TAF launched a new program in Campbell’s name that recognizes donors who have made transformational gifts to LSU Athletics.
“The generosity of the members of the Campbell Society has had a direct and profound impact on the opportunities and resources provided to our student-athletes,” said Rick Perry, the TAF President and CEO at the time of the program’s establishment. “Their gifts have also played a major role in the success of our athletics program and thus the enjoyment of all those who follow the Tigers.”
In lieu of flowers, the Campbell family requests a donation in Bo’s name to the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, 401 Edwards Street, Suite 105, Shreveport, Louisiana or the Alzheimer’s Association Louisiana Chapter, 831 King’s Highway #120, Shreveport, La. 71104.
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