Iris Campbell

Iris Faye Campbell (February 12, 1940 – November 20, 2017) was an American health advocate and politician who served as the First Lady of South Carolina from 1987 to 1995. Campbell was the widow of South Carolina Governor Carroll A. Campbell Jr., and became an activist on behalf of Alzheimer's disease patients following his 2005 death from the illness. She remained a highly influential figure in South Carolinian political and state Republican Party circles long after leaving her position in the Governor's Mansion. Her endorsements were sought after by major Republican U.S. presidential and state gubernatorial candidates. Most recently, Campbell publicly supported former Florida Governor Jeb Bush during the heated 2016 South Carolina Republican primary.

In 2010, Campbell endorsed then-State Representative Nikki Haley in that year's gubernatorial election. Haley won both the Republican primary and the general election.

In addition to her endorsements, the former first lady remained engaged in day-to-day state politics. During the 2010s, Iris Campbell spearheaded an effort to restructure South Carolina's state government. Campbell's efforts to pass the proposed legislation proved successful and resulted in the creation of the new Department of Administration. In 2014 bill signing ceremony, Governor Nikki Haley specifically honored Campbell for her contributions to the new law and the creation of the department. Haley gifted the first pen used in the bill signing ceremony to Campbell.

Iris Campbell died in her sleep, following a short illness, at her home in DeBordieu, South Carolina, on November 20, 2017, at the age of 77. She was survived by her two sons, Michael Campbell and Carroll A. Campbell III, and four grandchildren. Her funeral was held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on November 27, 2017. She was buried next to her husband in the All Saints Episcopal Church cemetery.