Phil Campbell (agricultural commissioner)


James Philander Campbell, Jr. was an American farmer, government official, and politician.
Campbell was born in Athens, Georgia and graduated from Athens High School in 1934. He received his bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Georgia. Campbell served in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. He was a pilot and bombardier and was commissioned a first lieutenant in the United States Army. After the war, Campbell owned a farm in Oconee County, Georgia. Campbell served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1948 to 1954 and was a Democrat. He then served as Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture from 1954 to 1969. In 1968, Campbell switched to the Republican Party. Campbell served as Under Secretary in the United States Department of Agriculture from 1969 to 1975 during the Nixon and Ford Administrations. He then worked for Gold Kist as a consultant.