Richard Campbell reflects on his father's role as a founding member of Salzburg Global Seminar
"We hope to create at least one small center in which young Europeans from all countries, and of all political convictions, could meet for a month in concrete work under favorable living conditions, and to lay the foundation for a possible permanent center of intellectual discussion in Europe."
When Richard Campbell expressed this vision in 1947, he did not know that the summer project of three young Harvard students would evolve into Salzburg Global Seminar as it exists today. Richard Campbell, Clemens Heller, and Scott Elridge envisioned that the Salzburg Seminar in American Civilization would introduce American culture and politics to the young generation of post-war Europe. 77 years later, a program on American Studies that fosters understanding and debate on America’s changing role in the world is still held annually at Salzburg Global Seminar.
Richard Campbell’s son and namesake, Richard Campbell Jr., attended the Salzburg Global American Studies program in 2023 and joined the ranks of his father as a Salzburg Global Fellow. Richard believes that for his father, bringing people together at Schloss Leopoldskron “was just a way to help some students get new ideas and thoughts about the United States. However, I think he'd be very happy to see what it's become. Though the American Studies program has now morphed into the bigger Salzburg Global Seminar body, it's still a marvel and I find that incredible…”
Richard considers his connection to Salzburg Global Seminar as a family legacy and an opportunity for him to carry on his father´s work, even forty years after the latter’s passing. Visiting his father´s high school, where he was presented with essays his father wrote on international affairs as a high school student, inspired him to get involved in conversations about international politics. This is the legacy of his father, who despite being a paraplegic, "walked further with one leg than most people did with two".
Richard believes his father would be impressed with the continued existence of Salzburg Global Seminar, especially its quality, values, and commitment to the mission of challenging current and future leaders to shape a better world. Richard reflected that “When I see the quality staff, students, and Fellows who come now, it has certainly not diminished”. Over 75 years later since his father co-founded the organization, people from different backgrounds still convene here to address global issues collaboratively.
Now, participating in the American Studies program, Richard highlighted the diversity of Fellows and their backgrounds as something of great value to the organization. He hopes that his father’s legacy and the mission of Salzburg Global will continue to inspire others, as “we’re all human beings, one species of homo sapiens, and this is an opportunity for folks who might not otherwise appreciate each other to come together... That’s crucial to increasing common bonds so that people understand that we are one people on one planet and we better work together to save it.”
Richard Campbell taught for 14 years at Penn State University. He retired from his career as an educator in 2002 and now pursues his interests in travel, current world events, and military history.
Richard attended the Salzburg Global American Studies program on “Beyond the Nation-State? Borders, Boundaries, and the Future of Democratic Pluralism” from September 19-23, 2023. The 2023 Salzburg Global American Studies Program focused on the contestations and renegotiations of boundaries beyond the nation-state, and how they are changing the representation of democratic pluralism.
