Nancy Campbell (1906 - 1980)

Nancy Campbell, born in England in 1906, emigrated to Canada with her parents when she was a child. She grew up in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, and lived most of her life in the area until her passing. A woman of remarkably diverse talents, she was an accomplished dancer, artist, pianist, and actress. Her first love, however, was dance, and she became very well known and respected as a teacher of ballet. Her intellectual pursuits included the study of various religions and arts. In particular, she was interested in international and interracial affairs.

In 1938, while studying at the Three Arts Club in New York City, Ms. Campbell met a woman who told her about the Bahá’í Faith. She was immediately interested and subsequently attended firesides at the home of Saffa and Carrie Kinney, where she met such distinguished teachers of the Bahá’í Faith as Ms. Juliet Thomson and Dr. Ali Kuli Khan. Upon returning to Canada, she searched for Canadian Bahá’ís and then enrolled in the Faith in 1941. In 1942, Ms. Campbell helped form Hamilton’s first Local Spiritual Assembly.

From that point on, Nancy’s busy professional life became a vehicle through which she taught the Bahá’í Faith. In 1958, she moved to Dundas, Ontario. She was a well-known figure in the artistic and intellectual life of her community, and she was active in many organizations of public good. In particular, her services to the Hamilton branch of the United Nations Association of Canada won her wide commendation, and in 1978 she received an “Award for Meritorious Service” from that Association. The citation referred to the fact that, “For many years, racial harmony and internationalism have been dominant characteristics in her relations with people--Miss Campbell found a deep spiritual significance for her art and world-embracing concerns over forty years ago when she discovered the Bahá’í Faith.”

Over the years, Ms. Campbell became renowned as a Bahá’í teacher. She taught at summer schools, youth and childrens’ classes, at public meetings, and at many firesides. She visited Indian reserves in Canada and also taught in Europe. Right up to the end of her life, Nancy Campbell taught the Faith. In her 75th year she took ill and, a few days later, on 20 January 1980, passed away.