Donald K. Campbell, 1986–1994
Before becoming the third president of DTS, Campbell graduated from Wheaton College in preparation for pursuing a career in chemistry. He knew God was calling him to ministry, however, so he enrolled at DTS to study under Lewis Chafer. After graduating from DTS with his ThM, he served as the seminary’s registrar from 1954 to 1967, which meant that he was the sole academic adviser, record keeper, and admissions officer. Though he carried multiple administrative responsibilities, he was also given the opportunity to teach Bible exposition. Upon becoming president in 1986, he committed himself to advancing two goals of DTS: to equip pastors for the study and exposition of the Scriptures and to deepen their spiritual lives in devotion to Christ on the foundation of prayer and biblical doctrine.
Under Campbell’s presidency, women were first added to the faculty. In addition, efforts were made to serve students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds within the student body, which included the initial stages of what would become the Chinese Studies department. As a result of Campbell’s presidency, DTS innovated in numerous ways, including introducing new degree programs and academic resources, to meet the needs of students and better equip them for their pursuits in ministry.
