Patrick T. Campbell

Patrick Thomas Campbell (April 14, 1871 – February 12, 1937) was an American educator who served as superintendent of Boston Public Schools from 1931 to 1937.

Early life Campbell was born on April 14, 1871, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Thomas and Mary Houghton Campbell. Both of his parents were from East Boston. His father was a shipwright and a lack of jobs in the Boston shipyards after the Civil War caused the Campbells to move to New Jersey. Thomas Campbell died in 1872 and his mother returned to East Boston to live with family.

In 1931, Campbell was appointed superintendent of schools following the death of Jeremiah E. Burke. In 1936, Campbell was unanimously reappointed to a six-year term despite opposition from a group of teachers. On February 12, 1937, Campbell died of a heart attack in his sleep. He was the third consecutive superintendent to die unexpectedly while holding the office. His funeral was moved to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross because it was the only Catholic church large enough to hold the thousands of mourners who turned out. He was buried in St. Joseph Cemetery. In 1937 the Patrick T. Campbell Intermediate School in Dorchester was named in honor of Campbell, however the school was renamed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. after his assassination in 1968.