Psychology graduate David Campbell has made a career out of organizational
leadership.
It took a while for David Campbell ('55 general science) to become interested
in psychology. But once he did, he didn't look back.
This VEISHEA, the Iowa State University Alumni Association will recognize
Campbell and three other Iowa State graduates with its Distinguished Alumni
Award, the highest honor given to alumni by Iowa State.
As a freshman at Iowa State, Campbell at first wanted to be a medical doctor.
Not because he was all that interested in medicine. It just happened to
be one of the few professions he was familiar with.
"I came from a small town (Greenfield, Iowa) and there weren't any
professions in the town except doctors, teachers and ministers," he
recalled. "I knew I didn't want to be a teacher or minister, so I
became a pre-med student."
Viewing a first aid film during ROTC training made Campbell realize a medical
career wasn't in his future. He gravitated to, and eventually graduated
with, a degree in science from Iowa State.
In his senior year, Campbell found another subject that intrigued him. He
took a couple of psychology courses and soon discovered that the subject
fascinated him.
While working at Proctor and Gamble after graduation, Campbell took night
courses in psychology and eventually came back to Iowa State as a master's
student, graduating in 1958.
"I couldn't get admitted to Minnesota or Ohio State and Iowa State
was trying to sell the Regents on a doctorate program in psychology,"
Campbell said. "The department chair needed bodies in the master's
program. He remembered me from the Cyclone baseball team and admitted me."
Campbell's life took another turn while back at Iowa State when one day
he ran into Curtiss Hall to get out of a rainstorm. There he saw an announcement
for a one-credit course in computer programming.
The course came in handy when Campbell was a Ph.D. student at the University
of Minnesota the following year.
"I was the only one in the program who knew about computer programming,"
Campbell said. "I was hired to program 30 years' results of the Strong
Interest Inventory which were being transferred from Stanford to the University
of Minnesota.
"Then the author died and the inventory fell into my lap. When I published
my first survey revision, it defined my whole career."
The Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory assessment guides individuals toward
career choices and became one of the most widely used career surveys.
"I love putting numbers on people's behavior. It makes it into a scientific
endeavor," Campbell said. "If psychological surveys ask the right
questions they will predict what people will do."
Campbell has been adept at developing surveys that ask the right questions
- first as the director of the Center for Interest Measurement Research
at the University of Minnesota and later as executive vice president of
the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). He remains with that company at
its Colorado Springs branch as the Smith Richardson Senior Fellow.
At CCL, Campbell has continued to author surveys - this time leadership
and organizational tools. He has worked with middle managers and top-level
managers of some of the world's top companies.
He has conducted leadership seminars for individuals including Gen. Norman
Schwarzkopf, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, Michael Dell, numerous four-star
generals and admirals, and freshmen members of Congress.
