Dr. John P. Campbell passed away July 19, 2025, at his home on Long Lake in New Brighton, MN. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Dr. Jo-Ida C. Hansen.
John did well as an engineering student but changed his major junior year after taking an I-O course. He completed the BS at ISU in 1959 and the MS (also ISU) in psychology in 1960. In the fall of 1960, he began the psychology PhD program at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. In 1964, he joined the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley. Two years later, the University of Minnesota recruited him back as a professor of Psychology and Industrial Relations until his 2016 retirement. During his 50 years at Minnesota, he was director of Graduate Studies for more than 40 years, director of the I-O psychology specialization for more than 20 years, and chaired the psychology department for 6 years.
Professor Campbell was a preeminent, influential, and respected psychologist; a major force in the conceptualization and measurement of job performance; and regarded as a guiding light for scholars in the field. His honors included the APA Distinguished Scientific Contributions Award for the Application of Psychology, SIOP’s Distinguished Contributions Award, the Society of Military Psychology’s Flanagan Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington, DC. He was honored by academic communities with the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Iowa State University, the Outstanding Contributions to Graduate Education Award from the University of Minnesota, and the Outstanding Graduate Faculty in Psychology Award from the Minnesota Psychological Association. He was editor of the Journal of Applied Psychology and president of SIOP.
His contributions are notable for their scope, rigor, and lasting impact on both science and practice. He was a principal scientist at the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO), playing a key role in major research initiatives. Among them was a landmark project funded by the Army Research Institute for Behavioral Sciences involving new test development, construction of multiple performance criterion measures, research on training evaluation, and a comprehensive examination of validity generalization to develop a classification system for the selection of enlisted personnel. The conceptual and methodological advances from this work had far-reaching influence, helping to shape modern approaches to employee selection and job classification across military and civilian contexts.
Professor Campbell was dedicated to his students and to mentoring colleagues. He transformed the University of Minnesota’s I-O program into one of the top programs in the nation, helping shape generations of sought-after graduates who became leaders in academia and industry. He was charming and had a dry sense of humor exhibited in his interactions with others as mentor, teacher, scholar, and role model.
His family invites those wishing to make memorial contributions to consider the Evans Scholar Foundation (wgaesf.org/memorialgifts) to support college scholarships for deserving golf caddies or to the University of Jamestown: 6082 College Lane, Jamestown, ND 58405, to support psychology undergraduate education.
