Judge David Campbell Chapter members pose for a group photo in their 1915 attire.
Judge David Campbell (i.e., James Carter) and Elizabeth Outlaw Campbell (i.e., Elizabeth Kelly) pause for a photo before Elizabeth tells the story of her life with the judge.
TSDAR 1st Vice Regent Charlotte Reynolds, NSDAR Honorary Vice President General Nelly Shearer, NSDAR Librarian General Judy Chaffin, TSDAR State Regent Susan Thomas, and NSDAR Vice President General Nancy Hemmrich
The Judge David Campbell Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated their 100th anniversary.
One hundred years ago on May 12, 1915, 18 ladies met in the St. Elmo home of Sue Cleage Johnson to hold the first charter meeting of the chapter. One hundred years later, on Tuesday, May 12, 79 ladies met at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club to mark the 100th anniversary and chartering event.
Chapter members, dressed in 1915 attire, presented a program set in two centuries, moving back and forth between 1915 and 2015. Elegant hats, gloves and ankle length dresses were the attire for the day.
Special guests from across the state included NSDAR Librarian General Judy Chaffin, TSDAR State Regent and Judge David Campbell Chapter member Susan Thomas, TSDAR 1st Vice Regent Charlotte Reynolds, TSDAR Chaplain Dianna Callaway, TSDAR Treasurer Jeanne Preston, TSDAR Registrar Wanda Lynn Garrett, TSDAR Parliamentarian Luanne DeWitt, Cherokee District Director Shirley Smith, Cherokee District Secretary Carol Rogers, Cumberland District Secretary Emily Robinson, and Chattanooga Regents’ Council Chairman Pam McConnell. Additionally, representatives from various local chapters and descendants of Judge David Campbell attended.
Using the monikers of the offices held by the initial chapter members, Chapter Regent Jan Perry portrayed Organizing Regent Helen Massengale Johnson and officiated at the afternoon meeting. Elizabeth Kelly portrayed Elizabeth Outlaw Campbell and James Carter, husband of chapter member Phyllis Carter and a member of the John Sevier Chapter Sons of the American Revolution, portrayed Judge David Campbell.
A highlight of the afternoon was when Eliza (Elizabeth) spoke of her life with the Judge and raising their 11 children. In 1776, David Campbell joined the Virginia Militia, serving in the General Nathaniel Greene’s Southern Division, rising to the rank of major. After the war, Campbell was elected to county clerk in 1777 of the newly-formed Washington County, Va. In 1780, he married Eliza. That same year, he resigned the clerk position to practice law under a license issued by Governor Thomas Jefferson. After moving to the Washington District of North Carolina (now Greene County, Tenn.), his first position as judge was under an appointment by the North Carolina legislature to be assistant judge of the district. The judge served in various judicial positions and also served in both the North Carolina and Tennessee legislature. In 1790, President George Washington appointed him as one of the judges of the territory south of the Ohio River. Besides serving as a judge, he also was appointed as one of the commissioners on part of the national government to run and mark the line between the white settlements and the Cherokee Indians. In 1811, Judge David Campbell was appointed judge of the Mississippi Territory but, before he could assume the position, he died in Rhea County in 1812 after a period of failing health. Descendants of Judge Campbell were among the founding members of the chapter and named the chapter after him in honor of his life-time of service to both the State of Tennessee and the federal government.
The afternoon ended in a social hour with attendees enjoying a tea party and appreciating the tables displaying 100 years of items representative of each decade.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote patriotism, preserve American history, and support better education for the nation's children. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.