Draft:James Kenneth Campbell

James Kenneth Campbell, Sr. (September 24, 1920 – March 30, 2004) was an American lawyer, who served as the longtime Village Justice of Saltaire, New York. A senior partner at the New York City law firm of Alexander and Green, Campbell argued twice before the Supreme Court of the United States. A prominent supporter of deinstitutionalization of mental institutions, Campbell also authored a bill for Governor Nelson Rockefeller to improve conditions at psychiatric hospitals in New York, which the New York State Legislature subsequently passed and the governor signed.

Early life and education
James Kenneth Campbell was born on September 24, 1920 in New York. His father was Eugene Campbell, who served as the Secretary of New York State Racing Commission until 1945 and authored the 1934 "riches to rags" novel The Long Whip.

Campbell received his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor from Fordham University. During his time at Fordham University School of Law, Campbell took a leave of absence to serve as a lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.

Career
Campbell was predominantly known in his lifetime as a high-powered attorney in national legal circles, but he held a personal passion for ending the culture of abuse and poor conditions at insane asylums. Conditions in Campbell's home state of New York and beyond were abysmal, with reports of restraint, starvation, and beatings commonplace. As such, Campbell became an advocate in the courts and in government for increasing the civil rights of mental patients.

Though Campbell was a Democrat, he was an ally of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. At the governor's behest, he authored a bill for the New York State Legislature on the topic of reforming the state's psychiatric institutions, which was subsequently passed and signed by Governor Rockefeller. In the years since, deinstitutionalization in New York has been hotly debated, with advocates praising it as a civil rights approach and critics arguing that it increased rates of homelessness.

A longtime resident of the Village of Saltaire, Campbell served as a Judge and a Trustee on the Village Board of Trustees.

Personal life
Campbell was married to Dorothea Burke from 1944 until her death in 1995, and they long resided in the Village of Saltaire, New York. Before permanently relocating to Saltaire, the couple raised a family on Long Island. Campbell and Burke had seven children together, including actor J. Kenneth Campbell. At the time of his passing, Campbell had fifteen grandchildren and three great-granchildren.

Death
Campbell passed away at the age of eighty-three on March 30, 2004, at a New York retirement home. The cause of death was declared "a tragic fire." After funeral services at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel, he was buried at the Campbell family plot in Brooklyn.